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COROiNA 


OF   THE 


NANTAHALAS 


^  ^omaujcje 


BY 

LOUIS    PENDLETON 

AUTHOR    OF   "the  SONS  OF  HAM,"    "  THE    WEDDING    GARMENT," 

"in  THE   WIRE-GRASS,''    "KING  TOM  AND   THE 

RUNAWAYS,"  ETC. 


NEW  YORK: 
THE   MERRIAM    COMPANY 

67  Fifth   Avente. 


Copyright,  189s, 
By  THE  MERRIAM  COMPANY. 


CORONA  OF  THE  NANTA- 

HALAS. 


I. 


GiDEOiT  McLeod  liad  lived,  from  child- 
hood up,  in  the  K"orth  Carolina  mountains, 
as  had  his  father  before  him  ;  but  it  was  not 
until  the  year  1864,  when  the  conscript 
officers,  under  the  spur  of  necessity,  became 
unusually  active,  that  he  removed  into  the 
fastnesses  of  the  wild  Nantahalas.  The 
mountaineers  as  a  class  were  notoriously 
indifferent  to  the  issues  of  the  war,  and 
Gideon  McLeod  was  no  exception  to  the 
rule.  With  his  childless  wife  and  such  of 
his  belongings  as  could  well  be  transported, 
he  retired  from  view  at  the  first  note  of 
-^alarm,  and  was  seen  no  more. 

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2  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

The  refuge  he  had  selected  was  a  sheltered 
nook  or  cove  high  up  in.  the  mouutains, 
and  fully  fifteen  miles  remote  from  any 
other  human  dwelling-place.  Here  a  rude 
cabin  was  built,  and  gradually  a  few  acres 
of  ground  were  cleared.  At  the  outset  it 
vras  the  intention  of  the  refugees  eventually 
to  return  to  the  lower  valley  and  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  their  friends,  but  time  passed, 
and  they  remained  where  they  were.  The 
war  was  over  long  before  they  knew  of  its 
termination,  and  their  desire  to  return  had 
meanwhile  weakened.  Sensitive  at  first 
because  they  hud  had  no  children — a  cala- 
mity almost  unheard  of  among  their  prolific 
neighbours — their  alienation  was  intensified 
later  on,  when  a  son  was  born  to  them, 
who  by-and-by  proved  to  be  both  deaf  and 
dumb. 

So  the  seasons  came  and  went,  and  the 
McLeods  thought  no  more  of  leaving  their 
hiding-place.  The  husband  gradually 
cleared  more  land,  ploughed  his  fields,  sowed 
and  harvested  his  crops.  The  wife  spun 
and  wove,  kept  her  house,  and  watched  the 
boy,  who,  despite  his  sad  afiliction,  was 
none  the  less  her  joy  and  pride.  They 
were  simple,  unschooled  folk,  to  begin  with, 


Corona  of  the  NantaJialas.  3 

born  in  the  lonely  mountains/  and  were 
contented  and  happy  in  their  solitary  situa- 
tion to  a  degree  quite  inconceivable  from 
our  point  of  view.  A  few  times  a  year 
Gideon  McLeod  descended  to  the  settle- 
ment in  the  lower  valley,  in  order  to  procure 
certain  necessaries,  such  transportation  as 
he  required  being  accomplished  by  means 
of  a  pack-mule.  A  mountain  bridle-path 
was  as  yet  the  only  highway.  And  this 
was  tlieir  sole  communication  with  their 
kind. 

As  the  years  passed,  as  he  made  addi- 
tions to  his  house  and  became  more  com- 
fortable, and  as  he  saw  his  few  sheep  and 
cattle  develop  into  considerable  flocks  and 
herds,  Gideon  McLeod  gave  thanks  that 
the  wherewithal  of  life  was  within  his  grasp. 
He  had  no  money  and  needed  none.  The 
few  farm  implements  and  articles  of  house- 
hold use  purchased  now  and  then  in  the 
lower  valley  were  all  paid  for  in  hides  and 
furs,  fruit  of  the  hunting  and  trapping  of 
leisure  hours.  The  wild  mountains  were 
his  kingdom.  The  outside  world  might  go 
to  war,  or  be  wasted  with  pestilence  or  with 
famine ;  he  was  free  and  independent  of  it 
all. 


4  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

Ifc  was  when  the  boy,  whom  they  had 
named  Dan,  was  about  five  years  old  that 
an  event  occurred  which  was  the  beginning 
of  a  new  epoch  in  their  lives. 

Gideon  McLeod  was  walking  in  the  forest 
on  the  slope  of  the  mountain  below  his 
farm,  one  af Lernoon,  when  his  attention  was 
attracted  to  a  very  unusual  sound — the 
sound  of  horse-hoofs  on  the  flinty  path 
leading  down  toward  the  lower  valley.  He 
was  at  once  stirred  with  curiosity  and 
wonder,  perhaps  even  with  something  of 
alarm.  Concealing  himself  behind  a  tree, 
he  awaited  the  appearance  of  the  horse  on 
that  portion  of  the  path  in  view  from  where 
he  stood. 

No  one  in  the  lower  valley  ever  toiled  up 
to  Lonely  Cove,  either  on  business  or  to 
make  a  social  visit,  and  if  this  were  a 
stranger  from  other  parts,  what  could  be  his 
object  ?  If  the  perplexed  mountaineer  had 
guessed  for  a  whole  year,  he  would  not  have 
anticipated  what  he  saw. 

In  a  few  moments  a  horseman  appeared 
and  drew  rein,  horse  and  rider  thus  being 
thrown  in  relief  against  the  opposite  green 
wall  of  trees.  Gideon  McLeod  saw  at  a 
glance  that  the  horse  was  a  fine  animal. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  5 

though  wet  with  sweat  and  travel-stained, 
and  that  the  rider  was  not  a  mountaineer, 
but  wore  the  clothes  and  had  the  air  of  a 
man  of  the  outside  world.  He  was  young 
in  years,  too,  and  of  a  handsome  face,  but 
distinguished  by  a  curious  wildness  of  the 
eye.  McLeod's  next  discovery  was  that 
the  strange  young  man's  right  arm  sup- 
ported a  little  child,  whose  wavy,  flowing 
hair  of  light  gold  was  all  entangled  with 
twigs  and  leaves,  as  if  from  hurried  and 
reckless  travelling  through  pathless  forests. 
Evidently  the  child  was  asleep  from  sheer 
exhauston. 

These  observations  were  scarcely  made 
before  the  horseman  turned  at  right  angles 
and  entered  a  little  open  glade  between  the 
path  and  the  tree  behind  which  McLeod 
was  hidden.  It  was  seen,  now,  that  he  was 
communing  Avith  himself,  and,  as  he  halted, 
these  words  were  distinctly  audible : 

*^  Shelley,  Shelley,  Shelley  is  a  skylark, 
a  cloud,  a  sensitive  plant,  a  monster,  a  king 
of  the  fiends.  He  is  thrice  blessed  and  four 
times  damned.  He  juggles  with  death  and 
glorifies  hell.  He  brings  ^ight  shade  for 
the  leaves  when  laid  in  their  noonday 
dreams.'    And  I  —  I  am  an  oak,  and  around 


6  Corona  of  the  NantaJialas. 

me  twined  my  dearest,  my  loved  one,  my 
little,  little  vine;  and  he  took  her  from  me, 
this  king  of  the  fiends.  He  tore  her  from 
my  arms  and  twined  her  in  his  own-  he 
bound  her  and  held  her,  and  recked  not 
that  she  wailed.  And  between  them  anon 
up  rose  Valouette,  the  skylark  fair,  the  sweet, 
wee  bird,  the  sensitive  plant,  beneath  the 
old  tree;  she  came  into  life  and  wept  and 
grew  free  till  'twas  a  maddening  thing  to 
see  —  ah!  a  damned  thing  to  see.  And  I 
said  to  the  king  of  the  fiends,  come  and  see 
if  we  can  better  agree  when  a  sword  judges 
'twixt  us  three!  And  I  held  him  hard  and 
slew  him  that  day  —  I  laughed  as  I  slew  him 
that  day;  and  cared  not  that  my  vine 
still  clung  to  his  clay,  stained  with  the 
blood " 

Suddenly  breaking  the  thread  of  his  in- 
coherent soliloquy,  the  strange  man  sj)rang 
to  the  ground.  The  shock  awakened  the 
child,  and  it  began  to  cry.  Gideon  McLeod 
expected  to  see  it  tenderly  hushed  and  com- 
forted, but  the  stranger  did  not  even  look 
at  it,  and  walking  a  few  steps  away,  he  set 
it  down  carelessly. 

"  Now  let  the  blood  flow  blithe  and  free, 
blithe  and  free,"  he  muttered  returning. 


Corona  of  the  NantaJialas.  J 

Gideon  McLeod  could  not  believe  that  he 
saw  aright  as  the  strange  man  drew  a  pistol 
and,  after  looking  furtively  around,  cocked 
it,  and  placed  the  muzzle  against  the  head 
of  the  horse.  Surely  the  whole  thing  must 
be  a  dream.  The  next  moment  there  was 
a  loud  report,  and  the  poor,  unsuspecting 
animal  fell  to  the  ground.  Then  for  some 
moments  the  slayer  stood  still,  and,  with  a 
wild,  indescribable  glare  of  the  eye,  looked 
down  upon  the  last  struggles  of  his  noble 
victim.  Was  there  ever  a  deed  so  cold- 
blooded, useless,  infamous  ?  Gideon  Mc- 
Leod's  eyes  flaslied  fire. 

Turning  toward  the  child  and  recocking 
his  weapon,  the  madman  spoke  again,  in 
the  same  monotonous,  swinging  style: 

"And  now,  Valouette^  the  wee,  wee  bird, 
the  sensitive  plant,  the  sweet  fiend's  child, 
the  skylark  blithe  and  free,  must  follow, 
must  follow  downward  to  the  sea — the 
sea  of  red  blood  which  flows  from  me. 
Then  I  —  even  I — will  plunge  into  the 
deep;  in  oblivion's  red  gulf  my  soul  will  I 
steep." 

The  observer  foresaw  nothing  from  these 
mad  utterances,  but  the  stranger's  actions 
lie    could    not  mistake.     At   sight  of    the 


8  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

struggling  horse  the  chikl  had.  begun  cry- 
ing piteouslj,  and  the  mountaineer's  heart 
smote  him  as  he  listened.  If  need  be,  he 
would  fight  for  its  protection.  Suddenly 
the  pistol  was  raised,  but  instantly  was 
lowered;  the  assassin,  mad  though  he  might 
be,  seemed  unable  to  forget  that  his  pro- 
posed victim  was  a  little  child.  By  this 
time  Gideon  McLeod  was  trembling  in 
every  limb.  He  knew  what  was  coming 
and  prepared  himself.  His  long  rifle  was 
raised  and  careful  aim  taken. 

''11  you  shoot,  I'll  kill  you!"  he  called 
out  from  bis  place. 

The  madman  started  and  glanced  about 
him,  failing  to  locate  the  voice.  Then, 
quick  as  a  flash,  he  raised  the  pistol  and 
fired.  The  one  report  was  followed  so 
closely  by  another  that  the  two  sounded 
as  one.  But  the  results  were  far  diffe- 
rent. The  child  remained  unhurt,  the 
ball  passing  to  one  side;  but  the  man 
dropped  his  weapon,  fell  heavily  back- 
ward against  a  tree,  and  collapsed  to  a 
sitting  posture,  glaring  about  him  and 
muttering. 

Gideon  McLeod  had  rushed  forward,  full 
of   horror   at  what  he  had    done.     Making 


Corona  of  the  Nmttahalas,  9 

sure  that  the  child  was  unharmed,  he  ap- 
proached the  wounded  man. 

•^'Ahl  'tis  he  —  'tis  he  —  the  king  of  the 
fiends,"  cried  the  madman,  fiercely,  as  their 
eyes  met.  '^'Tis  Clarence,  *  false,  fleet- 
ing, perjured  Clarence  that  stabbed  me 
i'  the  field  by  Tewksbury ! '  Out  of  my 
sight,  thou  craven  !  Get  thee  hence,  base 
fellow " 

A  sudden  sense  of  pain  seemed  to  inter- 
rupt him;  he  started,  paused,  as  though 
groping  for  his  words,  then  groaned:  *'  Oh, 
I  am  wounded  to  death  ! " 

^'^God  knows  I  didn't  want  to  shoot  you," 
cried  Gideon  McLeod,  sorrowfully.  '*  But  I 
couldn't  help  it.  You  was  a-shootin'  that 
innocent  baby,  and  you  can't  blame  me. 
What  in  the  devil  ailed  you,  man  ?  " 

With  tears  in  his  eyes,  the  mountaineer 
stood  before  his  victim,  speaking  earnestly 
in  his  desire  to  justify  himself.  The  wild 
glare  of  the  wounded  man's  eyes  faded  out 
of  them,  slowly  giving  place  to  a  glimmer- 
ing of  reason. 

*'  I  was  mad — crazy,  do  you  understand  ?" 
he  articulated,  huskily  and  painfully,  for  he 
was  now  weakening  fast.  "  I  wanted  to 
kill — to  kill — the  child — and  then — myself. 


10  Corona  of  the  NantaJialas. 

Take — her — send — write "      A  gush  of 

blood  from  the  throat  choked  his  utter- 
ance ;  his  head  sank  upon  his  breast,  his 
body  fell  over  on  its  side,  and  he  became 
unconscious. 

Gideon  McLeod  bent  over  and  examined 
him.  The  shirt  front  was  soaked  with 
blood,  indicating  that  the  wound  was  there. 
The  rude  mountaineer  was  amazed  at  the 
fineness  of  the  linen  and  underclothinof, 
but  his  attention  quickly  centred  on  the 
wound.  The  ball  had  entered  the  breast 
and  pierced  a  vital  part,  for  in  a  few 
moments  it  was  quite  clear  that  the  man 
was  dead. 

The  child  had  ceased  its  cries,  and  stared 
at  the  mountaineer  in  a  hungry,  wistful  way, 
as  though  it  desired  to  be  taken  up  by 
this  unexpected  and  unknown  friend.  But 
Gideon  McLeod  looked  only  at  the  dead. 
A  great  fear  fell  upon  him.  He  had  killed 
a  man.  In  his  own  heart  he  believed  him- 
self blameless,  but  who  else  w^ould  believe 
it  ?  Who  could  be  found  to  credit  the 
attempted  murder  of  that  fair  and  innocent 
child  ?  Assuredly  the  man  was  mad,  as  he 
himself  had  claimed ;  but  was  he  mad 
when  he  parted  with  his  friends,  and  would 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  1 1 

not  those   friends  be   coming  presently    to 
demand  a  reckoning  ? 

At  this  thought  the  mountaineer  leaped 
forward  and  darted  into  the  woods.  The 
friends  of  the  dead  w^ere  coming ;  they 
must  be  very  near  by  this  time.  Perhaps 
they  were  near  enough  to  hear  him  as  he 
ran.  What  an  uproar  the  dried  leaves 
made  as  they  scattered  before  his  feet,  and 
how  strangely  loud  was  the  cracking  of  the 
brittle  twigs  I  He  ran  faster.  The  over- 
hanging branches  whipped"  him  rudely 
across  the  face,  and  the  underbrush  seemed 
to  strive  to  seize  his  flying  body.  Bursting 
into  thickets  of  laurel,  it  seemed  to  him 
that  at  every  leap  he  stumbled  and  was" 
thrown  back. 

All  at  once  the  fleeing  man  heard  a  cry, 
and  halted,  breathless.  Ah,  they  had  come 
—  and  in  another  minute  they  would  be  on 
his  track  I  The  cry  was  heard  again,  more 
distinctly  than  before  —  the  wailing  cry  of 
a  little  child,  maltreated,  forgotten,  and 
deserted. 

Gideon  McLeod  turned  red  with  shame, 
and  thought  no  more  of  flight.  He  had 
risked  too  much  for  that  child  to  think  of 
deserting  it  now.     Let  them   come,  and  if 


12  Corona  of  the  Nayitahalas, 

they  refused  to  believe  his  story,  he  would 
defend  his  life  as  best  he  could,  and  trust  in 
God.  Eetracing  his  steps  with  all  speed, 
he  spoke  soothingly  to  the  babe,  lifted  it 
tenderly,  and  bore  it  to  his  home.  As  the 
child  ceased  to  sob,  and  shut  its  tiny  fingers 
around  his  thumb  in  a  trustful  way,  the 
heart  of  the  rough  mountaineer  was  deeply 
moved. 

Mrs.  McLeod  stood  in  the  doorway,  her 
eyes  distended  with  amazement,  as  her 
husband  approached. 

^'What  in  the  name  o' ,"  she  said, 

and  stopped,  unable  to  find  words. 

'Tve  killed  a  man,  Polly,"  she  heard 
her  husband  saying  in  a  voice  strangely 
calm,  '^  but  I  done  it  fur  this  little  one.  God 
knows  it  wa'n't  fur  nothin'  else." 

He  stood  on  the  ground  below  her,  with 
his  burden,  and  told  his  story.  She 
listened  motionless,  without  a  word,  her 
distended  eyes  riveted  upon  him  till  he  had 
finished.  For  one  brief  while  she  doubted, 
as  indeed  she  well  might.  Who  could  be- 
lieve such  a  story? 

'*  Did  you  kill  that  man  to  git  the  child, 
Gid?"  she  asked  at  last,  terror  on  her  face, 
although  her  speech  was  calm.     "Did  you 


Corona  of  the  NantaJialas.  13 

go  and  do  that  'caze  I  hain't  brought  you 
no  child  that  could  talk  ?  " 

ti  ^ell  —  Polly  ! "'  he  exclaimed,  deeply 
wounded.  '*  After  ten  years  and  better  you 
can't  take  my  word  ! " 

He  mounted  the  steps  and  passed  by  her 
into  the  house,  placing  the  child  on  a  bed, 
and  covering  it  up.  She  stood  back  and 
allowed  him  to  do  all  this,  woman's  work 
as  it  was.  She  was  in  no  hurry  to  relieve 
him  of  his  charge,  which  she  feared  was  the 
price  of  blood. 

The  child  fell  asleep  almost  at  once,  and 
the  mountaineer  turned  away.  He  went 
outside  again  and  stood  by  the  steps,  pon- 
dering. The  wife  then  stepped  to  the  bed 
and  took  one  long  look,  afterwards  return- 
ing and  standing  in  the  doorway  again, 
looking  anxiously  at  her  husband. 

Gideon  McLeod  stood  there  twenty  min- 
utes before  he  decided  what  to  do.  Gradu- 
ally it  became  clear  to  him  that  the  dead 
man's  friends  were  not  to  be  expected 
at  once,  for  during  all  this  time  there  had 
been  nothing  to  herald  their  approach. 
Most  likely  the  madman  had  had  no  com- 
panions in  the  first  place,  and  had  ridden 
to    the    mountains    alone  with    the   child. 


14  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

Then,  for  the  present,  there  was  no  fear, 
But  the  sun  was  low,  darkness  would  soon 
fall,  and  then  the  wolves  would  come  forth 
from  their  retreats.  The  body  could  not 
be  left  on  the  ground  all  night.  A  sugges- 
tion of  prudence  warned  the  mountaineer 
that  the  sooner  all  reminders  of  the  tragedy- 
were  removed  the  better.  Six  months  some- 
times passed  at  Lonely  Cove  without  wit- 
nessing the  visit  of  even  a  strolling  hunter, 
but  no  one  could  tell  what  a  day  might 
bring  forth. 

With  this. thought  in  mind,  Gideon  Mc- 
Leod  went  to  a  stable  a  short  distance  in 
the  rear  of  his  house,  secured  ropes,  bridled 
his  mule,  and  led  him  forth. 

^'Come  on  now  and  look  for  yourself," 
he  said' to  his  wife,  rather  distantly.  **ril 
be  bound  when  you  see  that  horse  you  won't 
think  /  killed  him." 

'^  Oh,  Gideon,"  returned  the  woman,  brok- 
enly, "  I  believe  you.  Don't  think  hard  o' 
me.     I  was  jes'  turrified." 

He  insisted,  however,  and  she  meekly 
followed  him,  after  shutting  the  door.  The 
distance  was  hardly  a  quarter  of  a  mile, 
and  they  were  soon  there.  Nothing  had 
been  disturbed,  and  not  a  sound  broke  the 


CoronR  of  the  Nantahalas.  1 5 

stillness  of  the  primeyal  forest.  The  moun- 
taineer pointed  to  the  stiffening  horse,  then 
lifted  the  body  of  the  man  and  put  it  on 
the  mule's  back,  strapping  it  there  with  the 
ropes.     Thus  they  returned  home. 


II. 


The  most  careful  search  revealed  no  card, 
letter,  or  scrap  of  paper  in  any  of  the  dead 
man's  pockets,  and  for  the  present  it  was  im- 
possible to  establish  his  identity.  Sixty 
dollars  in  notes  were  found,  however,  and 
a  linen  handkerchief  with  the  letters  *'  H.M." 
embroidered  in  one  corner  with  white  silk 
thread.  Also  on  one  of  the  garments  worn 
by  the  child  the  word  ^*  Corona  "  was  found, 
similarly  embroidered.  After  a  consulta- 
tion, it  was  decided  to  tie  the  money  up  in 
the  handkerchief  and  put  it  in  a  safe  place, 
to  be  carefully  kept  for  the  future  use  of  the 
child. 

Gideon  McLeod  set  to  work  at  once,  and 
in  less  than  two  hours'  time  had  constructed 
a  rough  coffin,  in  which  he  placed  the  body 
and  nailed  it  up.  The  sun  had  now  set, 
but  he  did  not  pause.     Selecting  a  spot  in 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  ly 

the  woods  not  far  away,  he  began  digging 
a  grave  —  completing  the  work  by  the  light 
of  a  torch  held  by  his  wife.  The  house 
meanwhile  was  shut  up,  the  two  children 
being  asleep,  while  the  dead  lay  at  rest  on 
the  porch  without.  An  hour  or  so  after 
nightfall  the  weary  mountaineer  lifted  the 
coffin  to  his  shoulder,  and  staggered  be- 
neath it  to  the  grave,  preceded  by  his  wife, 
who  carried  a  torch  in  one  hand,  a  small 
copy  of  the  Bible  in  the  other. 

**It  don't  seem  human,  Gid,  to  bury  him 
without  readin'  an'  prayin',"  she  said,  and 
he  agreed. 

Having  placed  his  burden  in  the  bottom 
of  the  grave,  Gideon  McLeod  opened  the 
Book,  made  a  hasty  selection,  and  read 
aloud  for  a  brief  space.  His  wife  listened 
with  the  tears  streaming  down  her  face. 
Then  he  recited  a  familiar  prayer,  and  it 
was  over.  The  earth  was  rapidly  shovelled 
in,  a  slight  mound  raised,  and  a  stake 
driven  down  to  mark  the  place. 

"  Now,  if  anybody  comes,  there  ain't 
nuthin'  fur  'em  to  see,"  he  said  with  relief, 
as  they  returned  to  the  house. 

In  the  morning,  however,  he  thought  it 
well  to  descend  to  the  scene  of  the  tragedy 


1 8  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

and  carry  a  spade.  As  he  had  expected, 
nothing  was  left  of  the  horse  but  a  few 
bloody  bones.  These  were  soon  buried 
out  of  sight,  even  the  fresh  earth  being 
covered  with  dead  leaves.  The  same  day 
a  heavy  rain  fell,  obliterating  all  traces  of 
what  had  taken  place,  and  Gideon  McLeod 
drew  a  long  breath  of  relief. 

After  the  lapse  of  days,  weeks,  months, 
without  a  warning  of  the  coming  of  the 
dead  man's  friends  in  search  of  him,  the 
mountaineer  gradually  ceased  to  dread 
their  arrival  and  their  questions,  and  he 
saw  that  it  rested  with  him  to  keep  the 
secret  for  a  lifetime  if  he  chose.  He  could 
either  contrive  to  advertise  the  lost  child, 
and  so  restore  it  to  its  home,  or  do  nothing, 
bringing  it  up  as  his  own. 

After  much  uneasiness  of  mind,  he  chose 
the  latter  as  the  only  safe  course.  He  pitied 
the  bereft  mother,  if  a  living  mother  there 
were,  and  Avould  gladly  have  returned  to 
her  her  own,  could  he  have  known  where 
to  find  her;  bnt  to  make  the  matter  public 
would  be  to  declare  himself  a  homicide  — 
some  might  say  a  murderer  —  and  he  could 
not  persuade  himself  to  do  this.  Besides, 
the  difficulties  of  an  investigation  would  be 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  19 

greater  than  he  felt  that  he  could  success- 
fully undertake. 

After  all,  the  little  girl  owed  her  life  to 
him.  But  for  his  interference  the  mother 
would  have  been  more  truly  bereft  than 
now ;  and  he  thought  that  this  claim  to  a 
large  degree  justified  his  course.  He  saw 
that  his  position  was  impregnable,  if  he 
ehose  to  make  it  so ;  it  was  within  his 
power  to  say  and  maintain  that  the  child 
was  his  own.  No  one  could  disprove  it 
for  he  and  his  wife  had  lived  absolutely 
alone  and  remote.  J^o  eye  but  theirs  had 
seen  the  child  until  the  clothes  worn  on 
the  day  of  its  arrival  had  been  laid  care- 
fully away  and  replaced  by  others,  of  Mrs. 
McLeod^s  own  making.  The  little  waif 
was  now  apparently  between  two  and  three 
years  old.  Let  a  year  or  two  pass,  and  she 
could  scarcely  be  recognized  by  her  own 
family.  The  prompt  exchange  of  clothing, 
however,  was  accomplished  less  as  a  matter 
of  concealment  than  as  a  precaution  in- 
suring the  means  of  a  possible  future  iden- 
tification. 

AjDparently  delicate  at  first,  the  child 
soon  began  to  thrive  in  the  mountain  air, 
developing    into    a    bright,    happy-hearted, 


20  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

docile  little  girl,  strong  of  limb  and  beautiful 
of  feature,  the  light  of  the  mountaineer's 
eye,  an  ever-cheering  companion  to  bis 
wife  through  her  lonely  hours,  and  the  un- 
failing delight  of  the  deaf  mute  Dan,  who 
was  always  her  willing  and  obedient  slave. 
She  was  early  taught  to  call  her  adopted 
parents  uncle  and  aunt,  and  grew  up  igno- 
rant that  these  titles  were  a  mere  form. 
The  McLeods  supposed  that  the  word 
"  Corona,"  embroidered  on  one  of  the  little 
garments  now  laid  away,  was  the  child's 
baptismal  name  ;  but  found  it  too  difficult 
and  strange  for  daily  use,  choosing  rather 
to  call  their  charge  Anna. 

The  infantile  impressions  of  her  past  life 
were  soon  effaced  from  little  Corona's  mind, 
and  the  surround! nsrs  of  her  mountain  home 
assumed  sole  dominion  in  her  memory. 
When  she  was  five  years  old,  and  Dan  was 
eight,  a  sense  of  responsibility  began  to 
weigh  on  Gideon  MeLeod ;  he  felt  that 
household  training  was  not  enough,  and 
that  something  should  be  done  looking 
toward  the  education  of  the  two  children. 
Little  could  be  made  of  Dan,  of  course, 
owing  to  his  infirmity,  but  much  might  be 
done  for  Corona. 


Corona  of  the  Nantalialas.  21 

The  mountaineer  was  a  man  of  few  words, 
and  no  book  learning  beyond  a  slight  ac- 
quaintance with  the  ^' three  E's,"  but  he 
meant  well,  and  the  beginning  that  he 
made  could  not  have  been  improved  on. 
This  beginning  was  the  reading  aloud,  each 
evening,  of  a  chapter  from  the  historical 
parts  of  the  Bible.  Poor  Dan  could  hear 
nothing;  but  Corona's  manifest  pleasure, 
as  she  gradually  began  to  follow  with  com- 
prehension, was  a  continuing  delight  to 
him,  and  he  never  failed  to  sit  beside  her 
as  she  listened,  just  as  if  he  understood 
everything. 

A  year  or  two  later  a  primer  and  a  little 
reader  were  procured  from  the  store  in  the 
lower  valley,  lessons  were  given  by  the 
husband  now  and  then  in  the  evening,  and 
by  the  wife  more  often  in  the  afternoons; 
and  in  the  course  of  a  year  both  books  were 
mastered. 

It  was  when  Corona  was  ten  or  eleven 
that  a  schoolmaster  came  to  the  lower 
valley  to  spend  a  summer  vacation.  He 
was  not  a  teacher  of  the  mountaineer  type, 
but  a  man  of  considerable  attainment,  who 
taught  Greek  and  Latin  in  a  select  Carolina 
school.      Gideon    McLeod  liked   his    looks. 


22  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

and  one  day  sought  him  out  and  made 
an  extraordinary  proposition.  He  said, 
in  substance,  that  he  had  sixty  dollars 
to  expend  on  his  niece's  education,  and 
wished  to  secure  the  best  talent  he 
could  find.  If  the  schoolmaster  would 
spend  two  vacations  at  Lonely  Cove,  and 
instruct  the  girl  daily,  the  money  was 
his.  The  offered  salary,  in  more  parti- 
cular terms,  was  ten  dollars  a  month  and 
board. 

The  schoolmaster  smiled  at  the  naivete 
of  the  proposal,  but  he  was  poor,  un- 
married, and  unwell ;  he  needed  the  moun- 
tain air,  and  after  some  reflection  signified 
his  willingness  to  accept.  Thus  was  the 
money  found  in  the  pockets  of  the  dead 
man  expended,  and  in  this  wise  was  Corona 
taught  to  speak,  read  and  write  English 
with  ease  and  intelligence. 

So  unusual  was  her  progress,  and  such 
was  the  schoolmaster's  affection  for  her, 
that  he  felt  moved  to  promise  her  another 
summer's  instruction  gratis;  but  before  the 
time  arrived  they  were  informed  of  his 
death.  The  letter  carrying  this  intelli- 
gence also  informed  them  that  be  had  left 
certain  of  his  favourite   books   to  Corona, 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  23 

and  in  due  time  the  package  made  its  ap- 
pearance in  the  lower  valley.  This  being 
carried  up  on  the  mule's  back  to  Lonely 
Cove,  and  opened,  a  curious  collection  was 
displayed  —  considering  that  the  books 
were  intended  for  a  young  girl.  There  was 
no  single  volume  more  modern  than 
Shakespeare.  Most  of  them  were  transla- 
tions of  Hesiod,  Homer,  ^Eschylus,  Sopho- 
cles, Plato,  Ovid,  Virgil,  and  the  Greek 
historians  —  Herodotus,  Thucydides,  and 
Xenophon. 

Corona  began  to  read  these  books  at 
thirteen,  and  in  the  course  of  time  read  and 
re-read  them  all,  obliged  at  first  to  pass 
blindly  over  the  words  that  were  new  to 
her,  but  going  on,  always  going  on,  and 
receiving  vivid,  ineffaceable  impressions. 
And  here  began  new  perplexities  for 
Gideon  McLeod  and  his  wife.  Corona 
asked  a  thousand  questions,  which  they 
could  not  answer — abou  goddesses,  denw- 
gods,  heroes,  dryads,  centaurs,  satyrs,  and 
so  forth,  in  unending  catalogue.  Mrs. 
McLeod  answered  gravely  that  she  had 
never  '*  hearn  tell "  of  any  of  these  things, 
and  she  was  pretty  sure  they  were  not  to  be 
found  anywhere  in  North  Carolina,  but  they 


24        ■  Corona  of  the  Nantakalas. 

might  haye  'em  across  tlie  mountains  in 
Tennessee ;  she  really  could  not  speak  for 
Tennessee.  People  had  often  told  her 
that  the  latter  was  the  last  place  in  the 
world  to  live  in  —  the  *' jumpin'  off  place/' 
so  to  speak,  and  there  was  no  telling 
what  might  be  found  there.  Being  asked 
where  Greece  was,  Gideon  McLeod,  who 
had  never  heard  of  that  country,  replied 
that  all  he  knew  about  it  was  that  it  was 
usually  in  the  frying-pan  at  hog-killing 
time. 

Her  questions  remaining  unanswered. 
Corona's  imagination  supplied  answers  for 
herself,  and  it  was  a  strange  world  which 
she  constructed.  As  she  grew  older,  the 
girl  became  more  and  more  devoted  to  the 
schoolmaster's  books,  and  the  gradual  effect 
of  these  ancient  authors  upon  a  thirsty  and 
virgin  mind  may  be  imagined.  Without 
instruction,  intellectual  companionship,  or 
sympathy,  without  a  modern  book,  periodi- 
cal, or  newspaper,  with  nothing  about  her 
but  wild  mountains  and  forests,  and  a 
lonely  frontier  farm,  she  inevitably  came  to 
live  more  and  more  in  a  world  of  fancy  —  a 
world  built  upon  old  Greek  forms,  tempered 
by    the    more    modern    ShakesiDeare,    and 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  25 

coloured  but  little   by  the   realities   of  her 
actual  human  environment. 

It  is  not  meant  that  she  became  silent, 
peculiar,  or  impractical.  She  was  as  human 
as  she  was  beautiful,  and  never  forgot  her 
affection  for,  and  her  duty  toward,  her 
three  companions  at  Lonely  Cove.  While 
her  hands  were  engaged  at  the  spinning- 
wheel  or  the  loom,  her  thoughts  might 
indeed  wander  off  into  her  fantastic  world  ; 
she  might  fall  to  wondering  whether  the 
wood  and  water  nymphs,  which  had  so 
long  eluded  her  search,  were  abroad  in  the 
forest  to-day,  laughing  and  singing  and 
scattering  the  dry  twigs  before  their  feet  as 
they  ran  through  the  long  leafy  aisles.  But 
meanwhile  her  household  work  was  not 
left  undone.  She  became  remarkably  deft 
with  the  needle,  and  after  some  failures 
learned  to  fashion  for  herself  a  number  of 
wonderful  Greek  gowns,  designed  from  the 
illustrations  in  her  beloyed  books,  and 
made  of  white  or  scarlet  wool  woven  and 
dyed  by  her  own  hands. 

She  and  the  deaf  mute  Dan  were  de- 
voted friends,  and  had  long  ago  learned  to 
communicate  their  thoughts,  in  a  measure, 
by    signs.     They    were    as    venturous    and 


26  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

bold  as  any  two  boys,  wandering  together 
or  alone  in  the  pathless  forests  far  from 
home,  and  fearing  nothing.  They  climbed 
the  highest  peaks  and  looked  down  on  the 
clouds,  caring  not  if  the  dark  mists  en- 
Teloped  them,  if  the  lightning  blazed  about 
them,  or  if  the  thunder  shook  the  ground 
on  which  they  stood.  There  was  nothing 
in  all  this  to  frighten  or  distress  these  verit- 
able children  of  nature. 

The  three  highest  points  near  their  home 
were  renamed  Olympus,  Parnassus,  and 
Helicon,  and  much  of  their  leisure  was 
spent  upon  these  peaks  and  in  the  spaces 
between.  Strong  of  limb,  light  of  foot,  and 
tireless,  such  mountain  climbing  was  to 
them  as  play.  Oftentimes  they  were 
followed  on  their  tramps  by  two  tame 
deer,  captured  long  ago  when  very  young, 
which  Corona  had  of  late  begun  to  call 
lo  and  Atalanta.  And,  to  complete  the 
classic  outline,  they  w^ould  sometimes  run 
hard-fought  races,  and  the  victorious  Dan 
would  be  crowned  with  a  wreath  of  leaves 
of  the  mountain  laurel. 

By  the  time  Corona  was  seventeen  the 
occasional  hunter  who  looked  in  on  Lonely 
Cove  had  spread  the  fame  of  her  unusual 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  27 

beauty,  and  during  the  following  two  or 
three  years  one  suitor  after  another  ap- 
peared from  among  the  young  mountain- 
eers of  the  lower  valley  —  finding  their  way 
up  the  mountain  path  early  on  Sunday 
morning,  spending  the  day,  and  returning 
the  same  night.  One  after  another  they 
grew  discouraged,  and  abandoned  the  diffi- 
cult undertaking.  Corona  took  no  inter- 
est in  them  after  their  first  appearance. 
She  was  by  no  means  unkind  ;  it  was 
merely  that  she  could  not  adapt  herself  to 
them,  that  they  appeared  to  her,  as  it  were, 
a  species  far  removed  ;  and  when  she  spoke, 
her  words  only  seemed  to  fill  them  with 
wonder  and  strike  them  dumb. 

If  they  persisted,  she  did  not  scruple, 
finally,  to  leave  them  to  be  entertained  by 
the  elders,  slipping  away  with  a  favourite 
book,  and  making  good  her  retreat  to  the 
topmost  peak  of  Helicon  or  Parnassus,  fol- 
lowed by  Dan. 

'^  He  mought  as  well  go  barkin'  up  an- 
other tree,"  Gideon  McLeod  would  say 
with  a  laugh,  as  each  suitor  appeared  and 
assumed  the  regulation  '"'courtin'"  atti- 
tude. The  girl's  manifest  indifference  in  no 
way   alarmed  her  adopted    parents.     They 


28  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

loved  her,  were  proud  of  her,  and  were 
in  no  hurry  to  see  her  marry  an  uncouth 
mountaineer,  or  even  —  had  they  been  ac- 
quainted with  one  —  a  prince  of  the  blood 
himself. 


III. 

For  years  it  was  Corona's  supposition  that 
Lonely  Cove  was  not  very  far  removed, 
either  by  time  or  space,  from  ancient  Greece — 
that  one  important  country  and  civilization 
to  which  nearly  all  of  her  books  referred. 
She  knew  nothing  of  the  lapse  of  ages,  of 
the  story  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  successive 
empires.  She  had  only  the  Greece  that 
was  pictured  in  her  books,  and  the  moun- 
tains that  loomed  before  her  eyes.  It  was 
clear  enough  that  Shakespeare  wrote  of 
another  period,  but  there  was  no  history  of 
the  middle  age  at  hand,  and  she  was  unable 
to  fill  the  gap. 

Her  mountains  were  in  a  ^' State"  called 
Carolina,  she  well  knew,  and  beyond  them 
there  was  another  called  Tennessee.  She 
occasionally  heard  the  expression  *' United 
States,"  and  had  a  general  idea  of  an  indefi- 


30  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

nite  number  of  Oarolinas  and  Tennessees 
joined  in  some  sort  of  union.  And  this 
was  all.  The  schoolmaster  had  failed  to 
teach  her  anything  of  geography  or  history, 
devoting  his  time,  as  well  he  might,  to 
teaching  her  to  speak  and  write  correctly, 
and  to  read  with  intelligent  comprehension, 
so  far  as  was  possible. 

There  was,  therefore,  really  nothing  of 
the  marvellous  in  the  result  that  followed. 
Corona  even  wondered  if  the  people  of  the 
outside  world  dressed  like  the  Greeks.  The 
Carolina  mountaineers  did  not,  so  far  as 
she  had  seen,  but  that  proved  nothing,  for 
they  were  ignorant  people  as  a  class,  doing 
nothing  but  raise  sheep  and  till  the  ground, 
and  having  some  characteristics  that  sug- 
gested comparison  with  the  Spartan  Helots. 
She  recollected  that  the  schoolmaster  had 
not  worn  the  Greek  costume,  but  there  may 
have  been  some  reason  for  that  also. 

One  day  she  chanced  to  overhear  McLeod 
saying  to  his  wife  that  she  was  not  akin  to 
them.  Going  forward  at  once  she  asked 
what  this  meant,  and  they  were  obliged  to 
reaffirm  what  she  had  alreadv  heard.  In 
reply  to  her  eager  questions  as  to  where 
she    had    come    from,   they   briefly   replied 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  3 1 

that  thev  had  found  her  iu  the  forest, 
and,  being  urged  to  do  so,  indicated  the 
spot. 

This  knowledge  was  the  text  for  many 
strange  fancies.  The  girl  wondered  if  she 
had  ever  had  any  parents  at  all  —  if  she  had 
not  been  born  of  the  forests  and  mountains, 
as  the  wood  nymphs  were.  For  Corona 
was  almost  a  pagan.  She  had  not  indeed 
foi'ofotten  the  stories  read  to  her  from  the 
Bible  in  early  life,  nor  what  she  had  learned 
from  it  for  herself.  She  believed  there  was 
one  great  God,  the  creator  of  the  world  and 
of  mankind;  but  she  supposed  that  the 
gods  of  the  Greeks  existed  also,  and,  in  a 
vague,  uncertain  way,  thought  of  them  as 
being  in  s.ome  sort  one  and  the  same  with 
the  angels  of  the  Scriptures. 

The  prophets  had  seen  the  angels  and 
the  Greeks  had  seen  the  gods.  Corona 
sometimes  found  herself  wishing  and  hoping 
that  she,  too,  might  be  allowed  to  see  one 
or  the  other,  or  both  —  if  indeed  the  two 
were  distinct  orders  of  beings.  Many  a 
time,  as  she  walked  forth  in  the  forest  alone, 
her  fancy  went  before  her  and  revelled  in 
the  bright  presence  of  an  angel  or  a  god; 
and  when  the  dream  was  not  realized  she 


32  Corona  of  the  NantaJialas. 

did  not  lose  faith,  but  told  herself  that  she 
was  unworthy  of  such  honour. 

Untouched  as  she  was  by  the  all-per- 
vading doubt  and  scepticism  of  the  modern 
world,  there  was  the  more  opportunity  for 
the  development  of  her  unquestioning  beliefs 
and  persuasions.  Kepeated  disappoint- 
ments failed  to  disturb  her  confidence,  and 
she  still  dreamed  of  seeing  a  dryad,  or  at 
least  a  water  nymph.  Many  a  day  she 
stole  through  the  forest  with  bated  breath, 
or  sat  watching  beside  the  roaring  mountain 
torrent,  which  she  had  named  Simois  —  in 
vain,  always  in  vain. 

One  day  in  early  summer  for  an  instant 
she  was  almost  convinced  that  her  wish 
had  been  granted.  She  was  now  turned 
nineteen,  and  was  tall  and  full  of  grace  of 
movement.  Her  face  was  unusually  per- 
fect in  outline,  and  rich  colour  came  and 
went  in  her  rounded  cheek.  Her  eyes  were 
of  the  darkest  brown,  large,  pensive,  tender, 
and  her  whole  expression  was  remarkable 
for  a  deep,  dreaming  wistfullness.  Her  dark, 
shining  hair,  long  and  wave-like,  was  now 
bound  up  in  that  conical  pyramid  so  favoured 
by  the  women  of  Greece.  Her  head  was 
crowned  by  a  fillet  of  laurel  leaves,  and  she 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  33 

wore  one  of  those  graceful  robes  of  scarlet 
wool  which  she  had  learned  to  fashion  so 
well.  It  was  mid  afternoon  and  she  had 
gone  forth  to  walk  alone,  a  book  in  her 
hand. 

The  mountain  forests  were  gay  with  the 
bloom  of  early  summer.  The  fresh,  light 
green  of  the  poplars,  maples,  and  beeches 
mingled  in  uncertain  and  irregular  variation 
on  the  rising  heights  with  the  darker  hue 
of  the  hemlocks  and  pines.  The  gardens 
of  white  birches  were  as  light  against  the 
darkness  of  the  funereal  black  balsams. 
Tender  ferns  grew  in  myriads,  and  yivid 
patches  of  colour  were  contributed  here  and 
there  by  rhododendrons  and  azaleas. 

Corona  paused  where  a  tiny  stream  gushed 
forth  from  the  rocky  soil,  and  sent  a  little 
rill  to  join  the  roaring  Simois.  The  place 
was  in  full  view  of  that  other  spot  which 
she  knew  so  well  and  had  visited  so  often  — 
the  spot  where  she  had  been  found  as  a 
child.  Gideon  McLeod  avoided  it  for 
reasons  of  h"s  own,  but  it  possessed  for 
Corona  a  strong  fascination.  Here  had 
been  ihe  scene  of  her  mystical  birth  ;  here 
her  celestial  guardians  had  set  her  down 
within  reach  of  those  kind  earthly  guardians 


34  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

who  had  taken  her  in  and  cared  for  her  so 
well.  Here,  if  anywhere,  she  fancied,  would 
the  former  be  pleased  to  manifest  them- 
selves to  her. 

As  this  thought  took  shape  in  her  mind, 
the  girl  heard  the  stroke  of  a  horse's  hoofs 
on  the  rocky  path,  just  where  Gideon 
McLeod  had  heard  the  same  sound  sixteen 
years  ago ;  but  the  vision  which  shortly 
presented  itself  was  a  far  different  one  from 
that  of  a  madman  and  a  babe.  Wiiat  she 
saw  was  a  young  man  of  unusual  physical 
beauty,  clothed  in  a  soft  wool  cap,  a  light 
silk  outing  shirt,  and  a  coat  and  trousers  of 
cream-coloured  flannel.  This  could  scarcely 
be  a  god,  but  might  it  not  be  one  of  the 
heroes,  in  spite  of  the  strange  apparel  so 
unlike  the  Greek  ?  At  the  least  he  was  a 
part  of  that  great  unknown  outside  world, 
so  different  from  her  mountains,  and  Corona 
gazed  enrapt. 

The  young  man  saw  her,  dismounted, 
threw  the  bridle  over  his  arm,  and  ap- 
proached, believing  he  had  found  the  object 
of  his  quest.  He  was  on  the  look-out  for 
that  wonderful  girl  of  the  Xantahalas  who 
was  said  to  be  "as  Avise  as  a  sage  and  as 
beautiful  as    a    dream,"   and  assuredly  this 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  35 

was  she  of  whom  he  had  heard — this  tall 
sylvan  goddess  in  a  scarlet  Greek  robe, 
with  a  fillet  of  leaves  round  her  head  and 
a  book  in  her  hand.  There  could  not  be 
two  such  extraordinary  persons  in  the  same 
region. 

''May  I  have  a  drink?"  he  asked,  with 
smilino^  face  and  uncovered  head,  as  he 
stepped  forward. 

He  marked  a  certain  gravity  and  stateli- 
ness  in  her  acknowledgment  of  his  salute, 
but  saw  no  lack  of  friendliness  in  her 
face.  As  she  answered,  he  was  struck 
by  the  engaging  qiiaintness  of  her  accent 
and  dialect,  in  which  latter  he  soon  re- 
cognizee! a  peculiar  mingling  of  moun- 
tain idioms  with  many  archaic  words  and 
phrases.  Such  a  dialect,  if  reproduced, 
would  seem  stilted  and  unnatural  at  best 
and  may  with  profit  be  left  to  the  imagi- 
nation. 

Stooping,  Corona  dipped  up  water  for 
tlie  stranger  in  the  rude  cup  which  belonged 
to  the  spring.  While  he  drank,  after  thank- 
ing her,  she  thought  of  the  meeting  of 
Nausicaa  and  Odysseus. 

''Have  I  reached  Mr.  McLeod's?"  he 
asked. 


36  Corojia  of  the  Nantahalas. 

"It  is  not  far — up  there,"  she  auswered, 
pointing.     "I  will  show  you  the  way." 

"  You  do  not  live  there?" 

"I  have  alwavs  lived  there.  Mr.  McLeod 
is  my  uncle."  She  checked  herself,  re- 
collecting that  the  relationship  was  not 
real. 

"My  name  is  Henry  Summerfield,"  the 
young  man  pursued,  as  an  introduction. 

*'llike  your  name,"  she  said  innocently, 
as  he  paused.  "Did  they  give  it  to  you 
because  they  expected  you  to  be  as  beauti- 
ful as  the  fields  in  summer? "  The  w^ords 
were  those  of  a  jest,  but  her  face  was  wholly 
serious . 

"I  hope  not,"  said  Summerfiel'd,  asto- 
nished, his  handsome  face  a  broad  smile. 
"They  were  doomed  to  disappointment 
in  that  case.  And  may  I  know  your 
name?" 

"They  call  me  Anna,  but  Coronals  my 
name,"  she  answered  simply,  unaware  that 
her  failure  to  mention  a  surname  excited 
surprise. 

"That  means  a  crown — a  name  proper 
to  a  queen  among  women,"  he  said  with 
somewhat  effusive  gallantry.  He  felt  that 
he   was  at  liberty  to  say  almost  anything 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  37 

that  was  not  unkind ;  nature  and  not  eti- 
quette ruled  here. 

^^  Where  did  you  come  from  ?"  she  asked, 
turning  to  lead  the  way  up  the  slope.  "  You 
do  not  belong  to  the  mountains.  You  are 
not  like  the  mountain  people." 

He  told  her  that  ^ew  York  was  his  home; 
he  had  been  spending  some  weeks  at  Ashe- 
ville,  and  a  few  days  since  had  concluded 
to  make  explorations  higher  up  in  the 
mountains.  He  had  spent  the  night  in  the 
lower  valley,  and  since  early  morning  had 
been  riding  up  the  difficult  pathway  that 
led  thence.  It  was  said  that  Mr.  McLeod's 
was  the  highest  settled  point,  and  he  had 
wanted  to  visit  it  before  returning. 

''My  uncle  will  be  glad  to  see  you,"  said 
Corona,  as  he  paused.  ''  We  seldom  have  a 
guest." 

They  now  walked  forward  together,  the 
young  man  leading  his  horse. 

"  What  were  you  reading  ? "  he  asked 
looking  inquiringly  toward  the  book  in  her 
hand. 

''The 'Odyssey,'"  she  answered,  holding 
it  out  to  him.     "  Is  it  not  beautiful  ?" 

"Reallv.  I  don't  know  much  about  it," 
he   acknowledged.     "I   recollect  reading  a 


38  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

little  of  it  in  Greek  when  I  was  in  school. 
Have  you  read  it  all  ?  " 

*'This  is  the  third  time.  And  I  have 
other  beautiful  books  which  I  will  show 
you,"  she  said  enthusiastically. 

He  saw  that  there  were  illustrations  in 
the  volume,  and  understood  the  origin  of 
her  Greek  dress,  which  had  greatly  puzzled 
him.  He  perhaps  wondered  at  her  and 
admired  her  all  the  more,  however,  for  he 
realized  that  it  must  have  required  no  little 
skill  to  fashion  so  graceful  a  robe  from 
pictures  alone. 

^'I  have  the  'Hiad'  and  the  great  Greek 
tragedies,"  she  continued,  '''and  Shake- 
speare's dramas." 

^'I  know  something  about  Shakespeare," 
he  said. 

'*  I  like  the  way  you  dress,"  she  pursued 
naively,  ''but  when  I  first  saw  you  I  won- 
dered why  you  did  not  dress  like  the 
Greeks — like  Perseus,  and  Heracles,  and 
Theseus,  and  Meleager,  and  Jason,  and 
Achilles,  and  Odysseus,  and  all  the  great 
heroes.  My  uncle  and  the  mountaineers  do 
not,  but  you  are  different  from  them." 

*'I  am  not  acquainted  with  all  the  gentle- 
men   you    name,"    laughed     Summerfield, 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  39 

"  but  I  can  tell  you  why  I  don't  dress  like 
them.  Fashion  has  changed  a  good  many 
times  since  their  days,  and  fashion,  you 
know,  is  a  tyrant  who  rules  with  a  rod  of 
iron." 

"What  is  fashion?" 

"  The  custom  which  dictates  what  we  are 
to  wear." 

"  Then  I  am  not  in  accord  with  fashion," 
she  said,  looking  down  at  her  flowing  robe 
in  a  doubtful  way. 

"Fowf"  he  exclaimed.  "  You  are  above 
fashion.  You  are  perfect  in  that  costume, 
and  should  wear  no  other." 

He  looked  at  her  with  an  artist's  appr{*- 
ciation  in  his  eyes,  and  she  felt  reassured 
and  pleased,  although  she  did  not  quite 
understand. 

'*  After  all,  fashion  is  a  fickle  jade,"  he 
laughed.  ''It  would  take  volumes  to 
enumerate  all  the  caprices  she  has  indulged 
in  since  the  time  you  refer  to,  which  is,  I 
suppose,  about  three  thousand  years." 

''Three  thousand  years!"  exclaimed 
Corona,  aghast.     "I  did  not  know — I  did 

not  dream "     The  girl  looked  like  one 

who  gazes,   suddenly  and  without  warning, 
into  a  bottomless  abyss.     "  What  has  hap- 


40  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

penecl  in  all  that  time  ? ''  slie  inquired  at 
last. 

*^  Innumerable  things.  The  world  has 
been  shaken  with  countless  wars,  empires 
have  risen  and  fallen,  Christianity  has  suc- 
ceeded Paganism  —  everything  conceivable 
has  happened." 

They  were  now  at  the  gate  of  the  farm. 

**  There  is  so  much  that  I  must  learn  from 
you  while  you  are  here,"  she  said,  earnestly, 
her  thoughtful  eyes  fastened  upon  him. 

Her  tone  was  almost  confidential,  al- 
though they  had  met  only  a  few  minutes 
before.  Summerfield  smiled  encouragingly, 
and  his  hand  involuntarilv  souo^ht  a  note- 
book  in  the  pocket  of  his  coat.  He  wished 
he  could  be  alone  for  a  short  while  in  order 
to  take  down  her  speeches  before  he  forgot 
them.  He  thought  he  saw  a  great  oppor- 
tunity within  his  grasp,  and  congratulated 
himself  on  being  where  he  was. 

'^  I  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  tell  you  all 
you  wish  to  know  —  so  far  as  I  can,"  he 
said,  promptly. 

He  felt  encouraged  by  her  words  to  con- 
template staying  longer  than  he  had  in- 
tended at  first.  She  was  evidently  as  deeply 
interested  in   him   as   he  in   her,    and   the 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  41 

acquaintance  promised  to  be  very  enter- 
taining and  useful.  Already  he  saw  the 
outline  of  a  possible  story  with  her  as  its 
central  insjoiration.  Meanwhile  he  was  far 
from  considering  her  forward,  perceiving 
at  a  glance  that  she  was  absolutely  igno- 
rant of  the  conventions  of  social  life,  with 
nothing  but  an  instinctive  delicacy  to  guide 
her. 

As  they  reached  the  gate  a  large,  mus- 
cular young  man  appeared  from  the  woods 
in  the  opposite  direction,  and  ran  up  to 
them  eagerly.  His  broad,  ruddy  face  indi- 
cated robust  health,  but  not  a  high  degree 
of  intelligence,  and  there  was  something 
infantile  in  his  expression,  although  his  eye 
seemed  keen  enough.  He  smiled  at  Corona 
in  passing.  Then,  halting  less  than  three 
feet  distant,  he  fixed  his  fearless  eyes  on 
Summerfield,  devouring  every  detail  of  his 
features  and  dress. 

^'This  is  Dan,  my  uncle's  son.  He  can 
neither  hear  nor  speak,"  said  Corona,  not 
quite  cheerfully. 

The  deaf  mute  then  turned  to  the  girl, 
and  his  expression  seemed  to  say  "  Where 
did  you  find  this  novelty  in  the  way  of  a 
man?''     Corona  having  answered  by  signs 


42  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

aud  gestures,   Dan's   devouring   glance  was 
again  turned  upon  Summerfield. 

The  mountaineer's  house,  first  constructed 
as  a  mere  log  cabin  of  the  rudest  sort,  had 
long  since  been  improved  on.  It  had  now 
five  or  six  rooms,  besides  a  porch  both  at 
the  front  and  the  back.  There  were  climb- 
ing plants  growing  on  it,  and  in  the  yard  a 
variety  of  shrubs  and  transplanted  flowers. 
Though  so  simple  and  rude,  the  effect  of 
the  whole  was  pleasing  and  homelike  to 
one  fresh  from  wanderings  through  the  wild 
forests  and  mountains. 

Mrs.  McLeod,  a  timid,  faded,  solemn- 
faced  woman,  saw  the  stranger  from  the 
doorway,  but  did  not  go  out.  She  called  to 
her  husband  who  was  at  work  in  the  rear, 
and  by  the  time  the  party  had  entered  the 
yard  he  was  there  to  meet  them.  He  was 
almost  as  ruddy  and  robust  as  his  son,  but 
the  evidences  of  advancing  years  were  to 
be  seen  in  his  iron-gray  hair  and  hard, 
wrinkled  face.  He,  too,  looked  tenderly  on 
Corona  in  passing. 

''  We  are  mighty  glad  to  see  you,  sir," 
he  said  simply  and  heartily  when  Summer- 
field  was  presented. 


IV. 


SuMMERFiELD  explained  that  he  was  a 
tourist,  with  much  time  at  his  disposal,  omit- 
ting to  add  that  he  was  by  profession  a  jour- 
nalist. He  desired  to  spend  a  few  days  in 
the  higher  altitudes,  and  if  they  had  room 
and  could  take  him  in,  he  would  be  glad 
to  pay  well.  He  saw  at  once  that  he  had 
made  a  mistake,  and  that  the  mention  of 
money  was  offensive.  In  the  Nantahalas 
the  sojourning  traveller  is  taken  in  as  a 
gaest  or  not  at  all.  However,  he  was  cor- 
dially urged  to  stay  at  the  McLeods'  home, 
and  was  not  slow  to  accept  the  offered  hos- 
pitality. 

He  took  copious  notes  relating  to  every- 
thing he  thought  interesting,  and-  before 
his  departure  had  completed  a  letter  for  a 
newspaper  with  which  he  had  a  regular 
connection.     He    found    that    a    mere   de- 


44  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

scriptiou  of  the  peaceful  life  at  Lonely 
Cove  was  lacking  in  sensational  features. 
In  fact,  with  Corona  left  out  —  she  being 
reserved  for  his  romance  — it  was  hopelessly 
tame.  So,  with  much  picturesqueness  and 
humour,  he  described  a  dancing  party,  sug- 
gested by  something  seen  in  the  backwoods 
elsewhere.  Not  content  with  this  inven- 
tion, he  boldly  turned  his  peaceful  place  of 
sojourn  into  an  illicit  distillery  of  "  moun- 
tain dew.'^ 

Gideon  McLeod  (not  mentioned  by  name) 
was  made  to  play  the  role  of  the  regulation 
moonshiner,  generous  and  hospitable  with 
his  friends,  but  burning  with  hatred  of 
revenue  officers  and  of  all  persons  sus- 
pected of  sympathizing  with  them.  The 
distillery  itself  was  described  in  detail,  and 
placed  in  a  convenient  mountain  cave  not- 
far  from  the  moonshiner's  abode.  The 
stealthy  methods  of  disposing  of  the  colour- 
less whisky  to  the  lower  valley  people  were 
recounted,  one  of  them  being  the  familiar 
practice  of  placing  a  jug  and  a  piece  of 
silver  at  some  lonely  spot  in  the  forest,  and 
returning  later  to  find  the  money  gone  and 
the  liquor  there  in  its  stead. 

Summerfield  did  not  write  all  this  with- 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  45 

out  some  slight  prickings  of  conscience  — 
he  was  not  altogether  hardened  as  yet  — 
but  he  easily  persuaded  himself  that  he 
was  doing  no  harm.  It  was  notorious  that 
there  were  illicit  distilleries  in  the  Korth 
Carolina  mountains,  and  what  mattered  it 
if  he  located  one  at  Lonely  Cove?  Xobody 
could  claim  that  it  was  a  libel  on  the  sec- 
tion, and,  as  the  readers  of  the  *^  Chronicle" 
would  not  know  where  the  place  was,  no 
harm  could  result. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  readable  letter  could 
be  written  and  his  time  not  be  wasted. 
Suuimerfield  thought  he  had  wasted  too 
much  time  already  in  his  search  for  illicit 
distilleries,  since  up  to  date  he  had  found 
nothing  more  than  a  sort  of  rural  "  speak 
easy,"  where  the  colourless  liquid  was 
poured  into  the  purchasers'  bottles  from  a 
new  and  innocent -looking  kerosene  can. 
Summerfield  was  not  the  man  to  waste 
time  in  self-examination  or  in  the  contem- 
plation of  moral  questions.  His  attention 
was  usually  centred  on  gathering  the  mate- 
erial  for  a  readable  letter.  Rather  than  fail, 
to  do  this,  he  was  at  all  times  ready  to 
still  the  faint  whisper  of  the  inward   monitor. 

It   was    Corona,   however,    who    now    ab- 


46  Corona  of  the  NantaJialas. 

sorbed  the  greater  part  of  his  time  and 
attention.  As  he  came  more  and  more  to 
recognize  her  absohite  innocence,  he  grew 
bold  enough  to  take  down  her  speeches, 
often  as  soon  as  they  were  uttered.  The 
girl  showed  him  Olympus,  Helicon,  Par- 
nassus, the  Simois,  and  the  Scamander  — 
indeed,  all  her  favourite  haunts,  and  he  was 
constantly  taking  notes.  The  deaf  mute 
always  accompanied  them,  whether  from 
mere  curiosity  or  because  he  was  told  so 
to  do,  the  guest  could  not  decide. 

Once,  as  they  halted  at  a  little  stream, 
an  affluent  of  one  of  the  classical  rivers, 
Summerfield  threw  himself  down  on  the 
bank  to  drink.  Corona,  who  was  standing 
near,  saw  his  reflection  in  the  water,  and 
noticed  that  he  looked  at  it  steadily  before 
breaking  the  mirror  with  his  lips. 

^^Eemember  the  fate  of  Narcissus,"  she 
said,  with  a  half  smile,  but  seriously. 
"There  is  danger  in  that  for  such  as 
you. " 

'^Who  was  Narcissus?"  asked  the  young 
man,  as  he  rose  to  his  feet.  "I  believe  I 
knew  once  upon  a  time." 

Quite  simply  and  seriously  she  repeated 
the  story  of  the  beautiful   youth   who   fell 


Corona  of  the  NantaJialas.  47 

hopelessly  in  love  witli  his  own  image  re- 
flected in  the  mirror  of  the  brook. 

Summerfield  burst  into  a  great  laugh. 
*'  Do  you  think  I  am  as  yain  as  that  ?"  he 
asked.  ^^I  think  I  could  preserve  a  level 
head  even  if  I  were  good  looking." 

"Narcissus  could  not  have  been  more 
beautiful,"  was  Corona's  thought,  as  she 
stood  silent. 

'^You  don't  believe  that  story  was  true  ?" 
asked  Summerfield. 

*^I  do  not  know.  It  may  have  happened. 
If  it  did  not,  it  must  have  been  invented  in 
order  to  convey  some  hidden  meaning. " 

*^  What  possible  hidden  meaning  could 
there  be  in  such  an  idle  fancy  ?  " 

*•'  Socrates  could  have  explained  it,  I  think. 
He  would  perhaps  have  said  the  story  was  a 
fable,  describing  the  disastrous  results  of  un- 
bridled self-conceit." 

Summerfield  took  out  his  note-book  and 
began  to  write. 

^^Why  do  you  write  so  much  in  your 
book  ?  "  she  asked,  for  the  first  time. 

'^In  order  to  make  sure  of  things  before 
they  are  gone  forever,"  he  said,  laughing. 
'*One  must  pin  down  a  thought  before  it 
blows  awaj." 


48  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

She  was  far  from  comprehending  him 
thoroughly,  supposing  he  only  wrote  down 
reflections  for  the  pleasure  it  gave  him,  and 
thinking  he  must  therefore  be  thoughtful 
and  wise.  For  the  first  time  was  thus 
suggested  to  her  the  idea  of  keeping  a 
diary. 

"It  would  he  worth  while  for  you  to 
look  in  the  brook's  impartial  mirror,"  said 
Summerfield,  returning  the  note-book  to  his 
pocket. 

*' Why  so  ?"  she  innocently  asked. 

"Because  you  would  see  beauty  itself." 

''Do  you  think  I  am  beautiful,  Henry  ?" 
the  girl  asked  very  seriously. 

He  smiled  as  she  pronounced  his  Chris- 
tian name,  but  preferred  to  leave  her  in 
ignorance  of  her  unconventionality.  He  only 
said:  "You  are  very,  very  beautiful." 

"  I  am  glad,"  she  said  simply,  going  on  to 
ask:  "and  am  I  as  beautiful  as  the  women 
you  know  in  the  outside  world  ?" 

"More  so  —  far  more  so,"  was  the  earnest 
answer. 

"But  you  will  go  back  to  them,  Henry  ?" 

"I  must  go  back,  but  I  can  return  — 
here,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice,  with  something 
like  passion. 


Corona  of  the  Najitahalas.  49 

They  stood  near  together,  and  his  eyes 
were  riveted  upon  hers.  The  deaf  mute, 
who  had  lain  on  the  ground  absorbing 
tliem  with  his  gUmce,  now  sprang  suddenly 
to  his  feet  and  looked  about  him.  Corona 
started,  and  what  was  perhaps  the  first 
blush  of  her  life  suffused  her  cheek  and 
brow.  She  had  led  the  conversation  up 
to  this  climax  with  an  innocence  that  was 
childlike,  but  her  eyes  were  opened  now, 
anil  she  feared  she  had  committed  a  grave 
breach  of  decorum.  Turning  away  in  con- 
fusion, she  moved  to  walk  homeward. 

After  one  turbulent  moment  of  disap- 
pointment, Summerfield  felt  quite  resigned. 
He  was  not  really  in  love,  and  did  not  de- 
sire to  be-;  therefore  it  was  better  that  they 
should  stop  at  that  point  and  say  no  more. 
In  spite  of  his  journalistic  lapses  from 
virtue,  there  was  something  honourable  in 
Snmmerfield. 

Before  the  week  was  quite  gone,  he  de- 
cided that  he  had  better  take  his  leave. 
The  purpose  for  which  he  came  had  been 
served.  He  had  written  a  taking  letter, 
his  book  was  full  of  notes,  and  he  felt  sure 
of  a  good  story.  It  would  now  be  well  to 
go  —  while   there   was   time.      Had  Corona 


50  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

been  less  attractive,  less  beautiful,  less  inno- 
cent, lie  thought  he  might  have  stayed. 
She  was  not  the  woman  he  ought  to  marry 
— and  stay  he  could  not. 

He  observed  that  the  girl  was  constantly 
more  shy  and  reserved  after  the  moment 
when  she  had  blushed,  and  at  the  hour  of 
parting  she  said  little.  After  he  bade  the 
McLeods  good-bye,  Summerfield  was  ac- 
companied a  little  way  into  the  forest  by 
Corona  and  Dan,  leading  his  horse  and 
walking  with  them. 

"■  We  will  turn  back  here,"  said  the  girl 
abruptly,  as  they  reached  the  spring. 

''Good-bye,  Dan,"  said  Summerfield, 
shaking  the  smiling  deaf  mute's  hand. 
Then  he  turned  to  Corona  with  some 
rather  commonplace  expressions.  He 
would  never  forget  his  stay  at  Lonely 
Cove  ;  some  day  he  hoped  to  come  back  — 
if  he  might. 

"  If  you  wish  to  —yes,"  she  said,  smiling. 
''  We  should  be  glad  to  see  you  again.  We 
rarely  have  a  guest,  and  it  gives  my  uncle 
great  pleasure." 

^'  All  revoir,  then  —  good-bye  !"  he  said, 
with  a  warm  clasp  of  the  hand. 

Then   he  was   off  and   away   before    she 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  ^l 

could  realize  that  the  parting  had  really 
come.  The  two  stood  looking  after  him 
till  he  was  lost  to  view,  and  then  their  eyes 
met.  *'  I  have  only  you  now,"  Corona's 
glance  seemed  to  say.  Acting  from  a 
sudden  impulse,  slie  leaned  forward  and 
kissed  Dan  on  the  cheek,  to  his  evident 
delight. 

A  moment  later  both  her  strength  and 
composure  gave  way.  With  a  low,  desolate 
cry,  she  fell  j)rone  upon  the  grass  and  burst 
into  tears.  Such  an  unwonted  exhibition  of 
distress  greatly  excited  Dan,  and  with  a 
face  expressive  of  astonishment  and  deep 
concern,  he  bent  over  her,  uttering  inarticu- 
late sounds  as  though  struggling  to  make 
inquiry.  But  she  took  no  notice  of  him, 
and  only  seemed  to  sob  the  more. 

All  at  once  a  ray  of  intelligence  appeared 
in  the  deaf  mute^s  perplexed  eyes,  and, 
leaping  to  his  feet,  he  looked  threateningly 
in  the  direction  Summerfield  had  gone. 
The  fierce  glance  returned  once  or  twice  to 
the  girl's  figure  on  the  grass,  only  to  dart 
again  down  the  leafy  vista  through  which 
the  horseman  had  disappeared.  For  a  few 
moments  longer  Dan  stood  thus,  and  then, 
apparently  seized  by  a  sudden  and  serious 


52  Corona  of  the  NantaJialas. 

determination,  he  took  a  few  doubtful  steps, 
and  at  last  darted  away  in  the  direction  of 
the  farm-house. 

It  is  certain  that  Summerfield  felt  a 
distinct  admiration  and  something  of  a 
vague  reverence  for  Corona.  He  w^as  con- 
scious of  almost  a  tender  regard  for  her 
welfare,  of  a  real  regret  that  her  lot  had 
been  cast  in  such  desolate  places,  and  of  a 
hope  that  bright  days  were  awaiting  her  in 
times  to  come.  But  as  he  rode  along  the 
downward  path  through  the  forest,  it  is 
equally  certain  that  his  thoughts  were 
but  little  concerned  with  her  personally, 
although  as  a  j^rototype  for  one  of  the  love- 
liest of  heroines,  she  absorbed  his  whole 
attention. 

For  the  time  he  was  almost  serenely 
happy.  Just  now,  after  starting,  he  had 
something  like  an  inspiration.  The  idea 
for  which  he  had  been  waiting  had  come 
to  him,  that  central  idea  which  would 
give  life  and  vigour  to  his  proposed  tale. 
His  halting  imagination  was  aroused  ;  scene 
after  scene  took  pleasing  shape  before  his 
vision,  and  the  hours  spent  on  this  long 
lonely  ride  promised  to  be  among  the  most 
agreeable  of  his  life. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  53 

He  was  not  troubled  with  thoiiglits  of 
the  personal  Corona.  He  did  not  ask  him- 
self how  she  was  now  to  take  up  the 
threads  of  her  life,  and  go  on  with  them  in 
the  old-time  simplicity  and  content.  He 
did  not  see  her  sorrowful,  hungry  days 
foreshadowed  —  her  sweet  and  oitter  fancies, 
her  hopes  and  fears,  which  would  be  irre- 
vocably commingled,  though  less  evenly 
than  the  warp  and  woof  at  her  weaving; 
her  sighs,  which  would  blend  with  the 
mournful  sound  of  the  spinning-wheel,  and 
mayhap  her  tears  which  would  dampen 
the  s^oun  yarn  as  she  drew  it  through  her 
fingers.  How  should  he  ?  How  was  he 
to  know  that  one  week  of  pleasure  could 
entail  such  results  in  the  history  of  a  lonely 
soul  ?  He  did  not  and  could  n  Dt ;  he  only 
saw  her  before  him  radiant,  lovely,  in  a 
luminous  cloud  of  fancy — his  inspiration. 

As  Summerfield  pursued  his  journey, 
looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left, 
absorbed  wholly  in  the  play  of  his  imagina- 
tion, he  was  suddenly  and  rudely  aroused. 
He  was  first  aware  of  a  whirring  sound,  as 
of  something  flying  rapidly  through  the  air. 
A  shadow  glanced  before  his  eyes,  and  then 
he  knew  that  a  rope  had  tightened  around 


54  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

his  waist,  pinioning  his  arms  to  his  sides. 
Before  he  saw  whence  the  attack  came, 
he  was  jerked  from  the  saddle  and  fell 
heavily  to  the  ground. 

In  the  act  of  bounding  to  his  feet,  he 
was  borne  down  again.  A  heavy,  muscular 
man  had  sprang  upon  him  with  the  agility 
of  a  cat.  With  his  knees  planted  upon  the 
prostrate  man's  breast,  the  assailant  threw 
his  body  toward  the  feet,  quickly  slipping 
a  noose  around  them  and  binding  them 
together.  Thus  was  Summerfield  so 
securely  bound  that  he  could  move  neither 
hand  nor  foot,  before  he  saw  the  face  of  his 
captor. 

''What  does  this  mean?"  he  cried 
fiercely,  as  he  recognized  the  deaf  mute. 

Dan  saw  that  his  prisoner's  lips  were 
moving,  but  did  not  trouble  himself  further 
than  to  see  that  the  knots  were  securely 
tied.  A  moment  later  he  was  off  to  secure 
the  straying  horse.  Keturning  shortly,  he 
lifted  his  struggling  captive  upon  the 
animal's  back,  and  strapped  him  there. 

In  his  fury  Summerfield  made  use  of 
the  most  fiery  invective,  railing  ai  the 
deaf  mute,  just  as  if  he  heard  it  all ;  he 
was    an    idiot,    a    madman,    a    robber,    an 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  5  5 

assassin — all  these,  with  qualifying  ad- 
jectives of  an  expressive  and  explosive 
kind.  But  Dan  gave  no  sign,  and  walked 
steadily  forward  through  the  forest,  the 
bridle  over  his  arm. 

Realizing  that  he  might  as  well  talk  to  a 
stone,  Summerfield  at  last  bottled  up  his 
wrath  and  was  silent.  Anon  his  anger 
cooled,  and  anxiety  succeeded.  What  was 
to  be  done  with  him  ?  This  could  not  be 
mere  sport  on  Dan's  part ;  he  must  have 
been  incited  to  it.  Could  Corona  know  ? 
Assuredly  not.  Was  it,  then,  McLeod  ? 
Was  he  waiting  at  an  appointed  spot,  and 
would  they  murder  him  for  the  sake  of  his 
horse  and  what  money  he  might  have  ? 

A  prey  to  such  misgivings,  Summerfield 
forgot  how  uncomfortable  was  his  position. 
Though  absorbed  in  reflecting  upon  the 
probable  outcome  of  his  captivity,  he  did 
not  fail  to  note  that  the  deaf  mute  led  the 
horse  away  from  the  path  and  over  a  wind- 
ing route  through  the  forest,  halting  only 
after  almost  an  hour's  tramp. 

The  stopping  place  was  not  familiar  to 
Summerfield.  The  mountain  side  rose 
almost  perpendicularly  at  this  point,  and 
in  the  rocky  wall  the  captive's  anxious  eye 


56  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

descried  a  small  opening,  perhaps  the 
mouth  of  a  cave.  There  was  indeed  an 
opening,  but  the  cramped  chamber  within, 
of  some  fifteen  by  thirty  feet^  was  rather  a 
niche  in  the  wall  than  a  cave. 

The  spot  was  one  well  known  to  Corona 
and  Dan.  Years  before,  the  rocky  chamber 
had  been  a  favourite  playhouse  with  them. 
Later  on,  it  had  been  classically  entitled 
the  cave  of  Calypso. 

The  opening  was  fringed  with  vines,  and 
was  larger  than  it  looked.  When  Dan 
lifted  the  burden  from  the  back  of  the  horse 
and  shouldered  it,  he  was  able  to  enter  the 
cave  without  stooping.  The  rocky,  uneven 
floor  of  the  dim  interior  was  softened  in 
one  corner  by  a  pile  of  dead  leaves.  Here 
the  unresistinsc  form  of  Summerfield  was 
gently  deposited,  and  a  few  moments  later 
the  amazed  young  man  was  left  to  his  own 
thoughts  and  conjectures. 


V. 


By  this  time  it  was  near  the  hour  of  noon, 
but  the  suu  had  set  before  Summerfield  was 
disturbed.  As  the  time  wore  away,  his 
amazement  was  intensified.  Try  as  he  might, 
he  could  invent  no  reasonable  explanation 
of  the  situation.  If  his  detention  meant 
murder  and  robbery,  why  should  there  be 
such  delay  ?  He  asked  himself  this  ques- 
tion again  and  again,  and  the  long  hours 
and  deep  silence  only  emphasized  the  pro- 
blem, while  bringing  no  solution.  Once  or 
twice  daring  the  afternoon  he  thought  he 
heard  stealthy  footsteps.  Once  he  was  con- 
vinced that  a  shadow  darkened  the  vine- 
clad  doorway,  that  some  one  stood  there  for 
an  instant  looking  at  him  ;  but  he  lay  with 
his  feet  toward  the  inner  wall  of  the  cave, 
and  before  he  could  twist  his  head  about 
and  direct  his  glance  toward  the  opening, 
the  shadow  was  gone. 


58  Corona  of  the  Naiitahalas. 

Shortly  after  sundown  the  deaf  mute 
appeared  and  offered  him  food  —  with  a  face 
very  serious,  almost  remorseful.  Summer- 
field  scowled  threateningly,  and  motioned 
the  offered  refreshment  away.  But  Dan 
refused  to  remove  it,  and  seemed  to  be 
much  grieved  by  this  obstinacy.  Hesitat- 
ing a  moment,  he  took  up  another  mouthful 
on  a  fork,  and  put  it  to  the  captive's  lips. 

Summerfield  had  eaten  nothing  since 
breakfast,  and  was  very  hungry.  As  the 
grateful  odour  of  fried  venison  again  entered 
his  nostrils,  involuntarily  his  lips  relaxed. 
After  all,  why  not  eat  and  be  comfortable 
while  Avaiting  to  know  his  fate  ?  Dan 
smiled  with  all  the  delight  of  a  successful 
child,  continuing  to  ply  the  fork,  and  when 
the  prisoner's  hunger  was  appeased,  he 
took  his  leave,  apparently  well  satisfied  with 
himself. 

Summerfield  had  spent  the  afternoon  in 
multiplying  vain  conjectures  as  to  the 
meaning  of  his  captivity,  and  in  struggling 
to  loosen  his  bonds,  by  turns.  He  now  did 
neither,  beino^  wearv  of  both.  Comforted 
by  the  food,  he  lay  quite  still,  and  soon  fell 
asleej).  The  morning  light  had  entered  the 
doorway  when  he   awoke,  and  he  then  lay 


Corona  of  the  N.jitahalas.  59 

for  hours,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  awaiting  the 
next  visit  of  his  jailer,  meanwhile  listening 
with  impatience  rather  than  pleasure  to  the 
twitter  of  the  early  birds  and  the  soft  sigh 
of  the  breeze  in  the  trees  outside. 

At  last  he  hijard  footsteps  near  the  open- 
ing, and  voices.  Who  was  that  speaking  ? 
A  woman  ?  Yes,  it  was  Corona  I  She,  then, 
knew  of  his  capture  —  had  caused  it,  per- 
haps. Summerfield's  face  flushed  and  his 
heart  beat  violently  —  with  indignation,  or 
was  it  with  pleasure  ?  Corona  loved  him  — 
she  wished  him  to  stay ;  this  could  be  the 
only  explanation.  The  modern  Odysseus 
w^as  a  prisoner  in  the  cave  of  Calypso,  and 
Calypso  herself  was  coming  —  by  her  spells 
and  her  love  to  lure  him  to  stay.  If,  then, 
she  willed  it  with  such  passionate  determi- 
nation, with  such  forgetfulness  of  the  cus- 
toms of  mankind,  why  should  he  not  be 
persuaded  to  stay  —  for  a  time,  if  not  for  the 
full  seven  years  ? 

As  soon  as  Dan  had  deposited  his  burden 
in  the  cave  and  secreted  the  horse,  he  ran 
to  the  spot  where  he  had  left  Corona  weep- 
ing on  the  grass.  Finding  no  trace  of  her, 
he  looked  for  her  at  the  farm-house,  but 
she  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.     Immediatelv 


6o  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

returning  to  the  forest,  Dan  sought  her  in 
one  after  another  of  their  favourite  haunts, 
in  vain.  He  even  climbed  Helicon,  and 
then  Parnassus.  By  this  time  it  was  mid 
afternoon  ;  he  was  weary  and  hungry,  and 
concluding  that  he  had  missed  her,  he  re- 
turned home. 

Inquiring  of  his  mother  by  signs,  he 
learned  that  Corona  had  just  come  in  from 
the  woods  after  an  absence  of  five  or  six 
hours,  that  she  complained  of  being  ill,  and 
had  retired  to  her  room  without  eating. 
Seeking  her  there  forthwith,  he  found  the 
door  shut  and  fastened  from  within,  and 
there  was  no  response  to  his  knocks. 

Gideon  McLeod  received  little  assistance 
from  Dan  during  the  remainder  of  that 
afternoon.  The  thought  of  what  he  had 
done  weighed  upon  the  deaf  mute,  and  half 
an  hours  pursuit  of  quiet  labour  was  as 
much  as  he  could  bear  at  a  time.  Twice 
he  dropped  his  hoe  and  ran  to  the  cave  in 
order  to  see  how  the  captive  fared  ;  more 
often  still,  he  returned  to  the  house  in  the 
hope  of  finding  his  beloved  playmate  visible. 
And  when  supper  had  been  cooked  and 
served,  he  surreptitiously  carried  off  a  plate- 
ful to  the  cave,  as  above  described. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  6 1 

Nothing  more  was  seen  of  Corona  till 
next  morning,  when  she  came  forth,  a  little 
pale,  but  otherwise  unaltered.  As  soon  as 
breakfast  was  disposed  of,  she  placed  her 
sj)inniug  wheel  on  the  porch  and  worked 
with  an  eagerness  suggesting  desperation. 
Dan  seated  himself  on  the  steps  in  the  direct 
line  of  her  vision,  and  from  time  to  time 
endeavoured  to  engage  her  attention.  But 
she  had  no  o^lances  for  him  to-dav.  At 
length  he  went  and  stood  by  her,  making 
signs.  Did  she  not  want  to  walk  with  him 
in  the  woods  ?  Did  she  not  wish  to  visit 
once  again  the  cave  of  Calypso? 

*'  Not  now,"  she  said.     "  Go  away,  Dan." 

But  he  persisted.  If  she  only  knew  what 
he  had  there  to  show  her,  she  would  come. 
He  had  a  great  surprise  in  store  for  her. 
What  was  it?  He  would  not  tell;  she 
must  guess.  She  would  be  sorry  if  she  did 
not  go  and  see  it.  And  at  last  the  girl 
rose  and  followed  him  through  the  thick 
woods  to  the  cave. 

^^  Have  you  lo  and  Atalanta  shut  up 
there?"  Corona  asked  aloud,  forgetting  to 
make  signs.  *^I  have  not  seen  them  this 
morning." 

This  was  just  as  they  arrived,  and  these 


62  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

were  the  words  partly  overheard  by  Sum- 
merfield.  Dan  shook  his  head,  with  an 
im^^ortant  smile,  as  the  inquiry  was  duly 
communicated  to  him,  and  motioned  his 
companion  to  enter.  Leaning  forward  to 
look  through  the  doorway.  Corona  drew 
back  hastily  as  she  saw  the  indistinct  out- 
lines of  a  man  lying  on  the  ground. 

**^  Don't  be  afraid/'  signed  Dan,  and  en- 
tered first. 

Corona  followed,  but  with  great  hesita- 
tion. Her  eyes  were  not  yet  accustomed 
to  the  dim  light,  and  she  neither  saw 
Summerfield's  bonds  nor  recognized  his 
face. 

'^  What  can  this  mean  ?''  she  cried  aloud. 

**Good  morning,  Miss  Corona!"  said 
Summerfield,  with  affected  gaiety. 

The  girl  started  at  the  sound  of  that 
familiar  voice,  and  looked  at  Dan  almost  in 
terror.  One  instant  of  uncertainty,  and 
she  stepped  quickly  forward  and  stooped 
over  the  form  of  the  captive,  recognizing 
his  face  and  perceiving  his  helpless  condi- 
tion all  at  once.  Summerfield  saw  amaze- 
ment, concern,  fear,  written  in  every  line  of 
her  face,  and  his  heart  smote  him  for  having 
so  cruelly  misjudged  her. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas,  63 

"Don't  bo  alarmed,"  he  said  gently.  "I 
am  all  right.  The  experience  has  been 
rather  uncomfortable,  but  there  are  no  bones 
broken." 

*^How  came  you  here?"  asked  Corona, 
excitedly.  '^I  thought  you  were  many  miles 
away." 

*' Evidently  I  did  not  walk,"  he  answered 
with  a  laugh,  struggling  a  little  within  the 
folds  of  the  rope. 

"  Who  has  done  this  ? "  exclaimed  the 
girl,  her  eyes  aflame. 

*'  Your  playful  cousin  there,"  was  the 
answer.  ^^As  1  rode  away  yesterday,  ab- 
sorbed in  thought,  he  threw  a  lasso  oyer  me, 
jerked  me  from  the  saddle,  and  jumped  on 
me.  Before  I  realized  what  was  going  on, 
he  had  slipped  another  noose  over  my  feet 
and  had  me  secure.  He  then  put  me  on  my 
horse,  and  brought  me  to  this  place — for 
what  purpose,  I  have  as  yet  been  wholly  un- 
able to  guess. "" 

Corona  rose  slowly  to  her  feet,  directing 
a  fiery  glance  at  Dan,  before  which  he 
quailed. 

'^And  you  did  that  I"  she  said,  a  look  of 
mingled  grief,  anger,  and  horror  on  her 
face.     *'  Who  would  have  believed  there  was 


64  Corojia  of  the  Nantahalas. 

such  wickedness  in  your  heart  ?  No  wonder 
the  gods  decreed  that  you  should  be  deaf  and 
dumb." 

Recollecting  that  he  could  not  compre- 
hend her  spoken  words,  she  began  to  ad- 
dress Dan  by  signs: 

'^What  could  have  made  you  do  this 
frightful  thing?  What  evil  influence  has 
possessed  you  ? "  she  said,  in  substance. 

"It  was  all  for  you/'  indicated  the  un- 
happy deaf  mute  by  means  of  his  rapid  signs 
and  gestures.  "  I  saw  you  fall  on  the 
ground  and  weep  after  he  had  gone.  I 
thought  you  wanted  him  to  stay,  but  he 
would  not,  and  so  I " 

Corona  turned  away,  and  his  silent  speech 
was  cut  off.  The  blood  had  rushed  turbu- 
lently  to  her  face,  spreading  from  neck  to 
brow ;  now  it  is  as  suddenly  receded,  leaving 
her  alarmingly  pale.  For  an  instant  her 
body  seemed  to  sway,  as  though  she  would 
fall ;  but  she  recovered  suddenly  and  turned 
again  to  Dan. 

"Untie  him!"  she  said,  and  her  gesture 
denoted  an  imperious  command. 

She  had  spoken  aloud,  not  by  signs, 
but  the  deaf  mute  had  read  her  face  and 
comprehended    fully.     He    started,    as    if 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  65 

from  a  sudden  and  unexpected  blow,  and 
bounded  forward  to  do  her  bidding.  The 
blade  of  a  knife  gleamed  in  the  dim  light, 
and  the  ropes  were  soon  cut. 

''Now  fetch  his  horse, ^'  commanded 
Corona,  this  time  by  signs,  and  Dan  hurried 
from  the  cave. 

Summerfield  gathered  himself  up  stiffly, 
and  followed  the  girl  through  the  vine-clad 
doorway  into  the  open  air. 

'*I  know  not  what  to  say,"  she  faltered 
with  downcast  eyes.  ''Such  an  outrage " 

"  Do  not  speak  of  it,"  the  young  man 
interrupted  kindly. 

"  My  uncle  will  be  most  deeply  mortified 
— as  I  am,"  she  pursued.  "  He  knew  nothing, 
nor  did  I,  till  now.  "We  beg  of  you  to  ac- 
cept our  apology,  and  ask  you  to  remember 
that  this  poor  Dan  is  only  a  child  as  to  his 
mind,  and  is  truly  not  responsible  for  his 
acts." 

"  I  am  quite  aware  of  it  —  I  have  seen  it," 
was  the  considerate  reply. 

Dan  now  appeared,  leading  the  horse. 
Delivering  the  bridle  to  Summerfield,  he 
turned  away,  a  sad,  perplexed  look  on  his 
face. 

"And  now  I  will  ask  you  to  mount  and  ride 


^^  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

away  at  once,''  continued  the  girl  bravely, 
"  so  that  my  uncle  will  not  know  of  this  at 
all.  It  would  grieve  him  co  the  heart.  Good- 
bye !  All  our  good  wishes  go  with  you, 
although  you  leave  us  unhappy  —  grieved 
for  this  terrible  thing  that  has  occurred." 

He  pitied  her  in  her  mortification.  She 
looked  very  sad  and  very  beautiful  ;  he 
almost  believed  that  he  loved  her. 

"  May  I  come  —  may  I  come  again  ?  "  he 
asked  ardently. 

"  If  yon  wish  it,"  she  replied,  in  a  low 
voice,  and  with  averted  face. 

Admiration  for  her  came  suddenly  over 
him  in  a  great  wave.  He  felt  touched  be- 
yond expression ;  and  yet^  even  in  that 
generous  moment,  a  theatrical  impulse 
which  sometimes  moved  him,  rose  to  the 
surface.  He  felt  irresistibly  impelled  to 
seize  her  hand,  to  bend  low  and  press  his 
lips  upon  it. 

"The  memory  of  Corona  will  live  with 
me  forever ! "  he  said,  with  a  touch  of  real 
passion. 

Siie  drew  her  hand  quickly  away.  "  Wait 
until  you  return,"  she  said. 

Then  he  leaped  on  his  horse,  lifted  his  hat 
to  her,  and  was  gone. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  6y 

When  the  sound  of  his  horse's  hoofs  was 
no  longer  heard,  Corona  turned  toward 
Dan,  who  stood  apart  and  seemed  afraid  to 
look  directly  at  her,  shame  and  perplexity 
written  on  his  face.  However,  he  now  per- 
ceived that  she  beckoned  him,  and  he 
timidly  approached.  She  seated  herself  on 
a  stone,  and  bade  him  do  likewise. 

**My  poor  Dau,'^  she  said  aloud,  as  he 
obeyed.  For  a  time  she  spoke  no  more, 
looking  along  the  path  Summerfield  had 
taken. 

"And  you  did  all  that  for  me,"  she 
mused  at  last,  looking  at  Dan  again.  **  You 
meant  to  please  me,  but  you  have  broken 
my  heart,  poor  boy." 

Then  all  at  once  she  put  her  arms  round 
his  neck,  rested  her  head  on  his  shoulder, 
and  wept  as  the  desolate  weep. 


VI. 

The  winter  season  was  over  at  Asheville, 
and  the  summer  season  had  not  yet  began. 
The  long  veranda  of  the  Battery  Park 
Hotel  was  almost  deserted;  scarcely  an 
eye  was  left  that  cared  to  dwell  on  the  wide 
prospect — the  scattered  town  below,  the 
rolling  valley  beyond,  and  the  blue  moun- 
tains against  the  horizon.  The  only  persons 
enjoying  the  ubiquitous  rocking-chair  were 
two  young  men,  who  were  more  than  half 
persuaded  to  stretch  their  legs  over  the 
balustrade.  Why  not?  It  was  so  com- 
fortable, and  there  was  no  one  in  sight 
likely  to  be  shocked.  There  seemed  to  be 
an  end,  now,  of  that  incessant  tramping 
back  and  forth  of  ladies  who  had  nothing 
in  the  world  to  do  but  to  seek  an  appetite 
for  dinner. 

"  When  do  you  go  away,  Summerfield? " 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  69 

"To-morrow.     And  you?'' 

''As  soon  as  I  can  get  everythiag  ready 
for  camping." 

The  last  speaker  was  a  man  of  perhaps  a 
little  more  than  thirty — half-a-dozen  years 
older  than  Htnry  Summerfield.  In  many 
respects  the  t\yo  were  contrasting  types. 
Edward  Darnell's  clothes  did  not  fit  well, 
nor  were  they  yery  new,  and  although  his 
features  were  good,  and  there  was  eyidence 
of  strength  in  his  serious  face,  no  one  would 
haye  called  him  handsome.  He  bore  the 
air  of  one  who  had  giyen  oyer  play  for 
work.  His  dark  hair  and  eyes  emphasized 
the  pallor  of  his  rather  thin  face,  and, 
although  it  was  not  possible  to  detect  the 
odour  of  the  traditional  midnight  oil,  there 
was  about  him  an  unmistakable  air  of  the 
student. 

''You  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  expect 
to  camp  all  alone  another  summer  ?  "  asked 
Summerfield,  with  an  air  of  concern  which 
was  hardly  genuine. 

"I  did  it  in  the  Yellowstone  last  summer 
without  disaster,  and  why  not  here  ?''  was 
the  reply.  "  These  ^orth  Carolina  moun- 
tains," Darnell  continued,  "  are  remarkable 
for    being    forest-clothed    up    to    the    top. 


70  Corona  of  the  Naiitahalas. 

although  so  very  high  —  the  highest  land 
east  of  the  Kockies,  in  fact.  I  want  to  give 
a  special  study  to  the  flora  of  these  high 
altitudes." 

"If  I  were  you,  then,  Td  choose  the 
Nantahalas,  rather  than  the  Smokies  or 
Unakas,"  said  Summerfield.  *'  Eeally,  they 
are  wonderful.  And,  besides,  that's  where 
I  met  that  remarkable  girl,"  he  lightly 
added. 

"  I  had  been  thinking  of  Mount  Mitchell," 
Darnell  continued,  passing  over  his  friend's 
last  remark.  "I  don^t  quite  know  where 
the  JSTantahalas  are.  They  are  not  visible 
from  this  point." 

Summerfield  said  he  fancied  they  were 
about  a  hundred  miles  to  the  south-west. 
''^  But  how  are  you  able  to  manage  this 
camping  of  yours  ?  "  he  asked  a  few  mo- 
ments later.  *' Where  do  you  get  anything 
to  eat  ?  " 

*' Simple  enough.  I  carry  a  pot  and  a 
supply  of  steam -cooked  oatmeal.  Then, 
too,  you  really  have  no  idea  what  a  public 
benefactor  was  the  inventor  of  canned 
goods,"  Darnell  went  on,  smiling  and  almost 
enthnsiastic.  "  I  have  my  gun  along,  and 
occasionally  I  take  the  trouble  to  kill  and 


Corona  of  the  Naiitahalas,  yi 

cook  a  partridge,  or  something  else  not 
always  as  nice.  I  eat  when  hungry,  drink 
when  thirsty,  sleep  when  weary — the  most 
independent  life  in  the  world,  I  assure  you. 
I  can't  lay  claim  to  the  gipsy's  blood,  but  I 
dote  on  the  gipsy's  way  of  life. '^ 

"  But  how  dull  it  must  be!  " 

*'Ko  time  for  that  when  a  man  is  collect- 
ing, classifying,  and  cataloguing  specimens." 

"  But  you  can't  work  all  the  time." 

'*  Certainly  not.  Of  course  I  carry  a  few 
of  my  favourite  books,  and  now  and  then  I 
condescend  to  read  a  novel.  I  even  read 
your  sketches  occasionally." 

"You  don't  say!"  Summerfield  laughed 
heartily.  '*  But,  after  all,  you  must  often  be 
desperately  lonely.'^ 

^*  Ah,  there  you  say  true" — with  a  half 
sigh.  ^'  But  then  I  am  a  lonely  man  in  the 
city,  you  know.  I  have  nothing  but  my 
lectures  at  the  Academy  and  my  books." 

*'What  a  dry  life!  By  the  way,  has  that 
rich  cousin  of  yours  made  any  further  efforts 
to  introduce  you  into  society?" 

'^  She  mentioned  it  again  last  fall,  but  I 
backed  as  usual.  I  don^t  care  for  fine 
ladies.  I  don't  know  much  about  either, 
but  I  prefer  the  working  girl." 


72  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

"The  kind  who  stands  behind  a  counter 
and  says  that  one  colour  is  more  becoming 
'than  what'  another  is  for  a  light  com- 
plexion, and  who  informs  you  that  she  has 
a  sister  '  Alus '  also  in  business,  and  that  if 
their  father  Miad  of  known  how  to  hold 
on  to  his  money  they  would  all  now  be 
driving  in  a  'cope,'  instead  of — et  cetera,  et 
cetera." 

''You  mustn't  go  into  particulars.  That 
is  the  way  to  spoil  the  best  of  theories," 
said  Darnell,  smiling.  "I  mean  the  work- 
ing girl  in  the  abstract.  I  prefer  her 
because,  to  my  mind,  she  is  more  in  the 
order  of  creation.  She  does  something  for 
others — something  of  use  to  her  neighbours 
— while  the  fine  lady  lives  only  for  herself. 
I  admit,  of  course,  that  where  the  working 
girl  does  not  love  her  work,  the  one  is  as 
selfish  as  the  other." 

"But  how  do  you  dispose  of  the  advan- 
tages of  culture  and " 

'•'  True  education  is  a  great  thing  for  any 
one,  especially  if  he  be  caught  young.  But 
the  varnish  called  cultivation  will  not  im- 
prove a  shallow  mind  or  refine  a  selfish 
soul.  I  prefer  strong  characters,  wherever 
found." 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  73 

'*  Darnell,  you  ought  to  meet  that  girl  I 
saw  last  summer." 

"Who  is  she?" 

"Did  you  read  that  story  of  mine 
published  last  winter  called  *A  Sylvan 
Princess  ? ' " 

"  Yes." 

*^The  whole  thing  was  based  on  what 
happened  to  me  in  the  Nantahalas  in  con- 
nection with  this  girl.  I  dared  not  describe 
everything  Just  as  it  was.  I  knew  it  wouldn't 
be  believed." 

*'  What  were  you  doing  there  ?  " 

"Last  summer  I  went  up  to  the  mountain 
village  of  Bryson,  on  my  way  to  Oconoluf  tee, 
the  Cherokee  reservation  —  I  wanted  to  write 
an  article  about  the  Indians,  —  and  while 
there  I  heard  mentiou  of  a  remarkable 
young  woman  who  lived  some  forty  miles 
away  —  far  up  in  the  fastnesses  of  the 
Nantahalas." 

*^  Not  alone?" 

'^  No.  Her  companions  were  an  old 
farmer,  his  wife,  and  a  deaf-mute  son.  It 
was  said,  in  substance,  that  she  was  as  wise 
as  a  sage  and  as  beautiful  as  a  dream,  and 
I  determined  to  see  her." 

"How  singular." 


74  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

*'Take  another  cigar,  and  I'll  tell  you  all 
about  it." 

^^  It  is  certainly  a  remarkable  story,"  said 
Darnell  half  an  hour  later,  after  listening  to 
an  outline  of  his  friend's  experience  in  the 
Nantahalas.  *^And  you  have  never  since 
communicated  with  her?" 

"No.  I  thought  once  or  twice  of  send- 
ing her  a  copy  of  the  story  of  which  she 
was  the  inspiration,  but  decided  not  to.  I 
believe  I  should  have  gone  back  myself 
long  before  this  if  I  had  dared.  It  seemed 
wiser  to  stay  away;  she  is  too  fascinating. 
I  am  not  ready  to  marry  yet,  and,  if  I  were, 
she  is  hardly  the  kind  of  girl  to  introduce 
to  one's  friends." 

'^  She  is  worth  a  hundred  of  the  conven- 
tional girl,  if  your  report  is  at  all  accurate," 
said  Darnell  positively. 

'^No  doubt  she  is  —  in  a  way.  But 
society's  way  are  different.  She'd  interest 
you,  Darnell,  I  am  sure;  and  there  would  be 
no  risk  in  your  going.  You  are  such  a  cold, 
phlegmatic  fellow,  that  there  would  be  no 
danger  of  your  falling  in  love,  and " 

"And  as  I  am  not  good  looking,  there 
would  be  no  danger  of  her  falling  in  love 
with  me,  eh  ?  "     Darnell  replied  dryly. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  75 

''You  know  I  did  not  mean  to  say  that." 
*^It  is  true,  however,  and  it  is  possible 
that  I  may  adopt  your  suggestion.  I  can 
doubtless  find  the  same  specimens  on  the 
peaks  of  the  Xantahalas  as  on  Mount 
Mitchell,  and  there  seems  no  real  reason 
why  I  should  not  follow  your  trail." 


VII. 

_  CoRON"A  waited  in  vain  through  the  long 
weeks  and  months  of  the  summer  and 
autumn.  Summerfield  did  not  come  back, 
and  sent  no  word.  Many  a  time  the  girl 
visited  the  spring  where  he  had  first  entered 
her  life,  and  lingered  there,  vaguely  hoping 
to  hear  his  horse's  hoof-strokes  on  the  flinty 
path  —  huge  red  long  and  drearily,  falling 
prone  upon  the  ground  at  last  before  the 
oppression  of  her  disappointment  and  grief. 
She  had  little  idea  of  the  long  distances,  of 
the  hindrances  that  might  prevent,  and  had 
really  expected  him  to  return,  believing  im- 
plicitly all  he  had  said.  She  had  learned 
many  things  about  the  outside  world  during 
the  few  days  he  was  with  her,  but  she  had 
not  learned  enough. 

The  spot  became  hateful  at  last,  and  she 
went  there  no  more;   but  on   Helicon  and 


Coro7ia  of  the  Nantahalas  yj 

the  other  heights  which  they  had  visited 
together,  on  the  banks  of  the  Simois,  and 
in  the  cave  at  Calypso,  she  still  thought  of 
him.  After  some  weeks,  in  the  intervals 
between  weaving,  spinning  and  other  work, 
she  went  back  to  her  books,  especially  her 
poets,  with  renewed  affection  and  absorp- 
tion. She  had  felt  the  pangs  of  a  great 
disappointment,  and  now  understood  the 
feelings  of  Ariadne,  of  Medea,  of  Calypso, 
of  Dido,  of  Cleopatra,  and  Ophelia,  as  never 
before. 

Still  later,  though  scarcely  less  sad. 
Corona  found  a  certain  relief  in  giving  ex- 
pression to  her  troubled  thoughts  in  spoken 
words.  As  she  wandered  alone  through 
the  wild  woods,  or  sat  upon  the  loftiest 
point  of  Helicon  or  Olympus  and  looked 
out  over  the  vast,  hazy  blue  sea  of  moun- 
tains, she  now  and  then  fell  into  a  measured 
recitation  of  her  griefs,  her  thoughts,  her 
ho^^es.  It  did  not  occur  to  her  that  she 
spoke  in  rhythm  ;  the  voices  of  the  ancient 
bards  forever  haunted  her  mind,  and,  had 
she  thought  of  the  matter,  their  mode  of 
speech  would  have  seemed  to  her  more 
natural  and  fitting  than  prose  for  these 
melancholy  soliloquies.     She  was  observant 


78  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas* 

and  reflective  enough,  however,  to  become 
aware  that  this  habit  of  measured  soliloquy 
was  growing  on  her,  and  she  wondered  if 
she  were  the  victim  of  a  peculiar  form  of 
madness.  While  wandering  on  one  of  the 
higher  peaks  of  the  neighbourhood  one  day 
late  in  the  fall  Corona  witnessed  a  thunder- 
storm in  the  clouds  beneath  her,  and  Avas 
filled  with  delight  rather  than  awe  by  the 
terrific  beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  scene. 
Eeturning  home  it  occurred  to  her  that  if 
Summerfield  had  seen  it  he  would  have 
written  about  it  in  his  book.  It  was  this 
suggestion  which  ended  in  her  spreading 
paper  before  her  the  next  day  and  be- 
ginning to  write. 

Once  begun,  the  habit  grew  on  her,  and 
almost  every  day  Corona  wrote  something 
in  a  little  blank  book  left  behind  by  the 
schoolmaster.  From  this  beginning  of  a 
simjole  description  of  the  thunderstorm,  she 
advanced  toward  the  most  fantastic  and 
poetical  fancies,  everywhere  coloured  by 
the  pagan  atmosphere  in  which  she  had 
grown  up.  What  the  birds  said  to  each 
other,  what  the  river  said  to  the  mountain, 
the  myriad  murrnurings  of  the  forest  from 
day    to  day,  the    beat    of  the  gentle    rain 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  79 

on  the  glad  leaves,  the  language  of  the 
clouds,  of  the  stars,  the  soft  coo  of  the 
doves  who  knew  that  her  heart  was  torn, 
the  harsh  laugh  of  the  crows  who  knew 
it,  too,  the  friendly  sympathy  of  the  wood 
and  water  nymphs,  of  whom  she  still 
dreamed,  the  indifference  of  fauns  and 
satyrs,  the  mystery,  the  beauty,  the  sad- 
ness, the  joy,  of  the  vast,  illimitable  world 
of  nature. 

Once,  forgetful  of  her  uncle's  warning 
that  the  place  was  unsafe  even  while  it  was 
day.  Corona  wandered  into  the  pathless 
forest  on  the  far  side  of  Parnassus.  Dan 
was  busy  and  could  not  go,  so  she  called 
the  deer  and  started  ofif,  lo  and  Afcalanta 
trotting  contentedly  at  her  heels.  As  the 
way  became  precipitous  and  diflScult  her 
pets  strayed  oS,  feeding,  and  she  ascended 
to  the  top  alone,  remaining  there  an  un- 
marked length  of  time  absorbed  in  con- 
templating a  grand  prospect  of  unknown 
peaks  wreathed  in  smoky  blue,  of  wide 
intervening  valleys  traversed  by  slender, 
shining  streams,  and  of  shifting  white 
mists  which  here  and  there  swam  low 
between    the    piny    walls     of    long,     deep 


glens. 


8o  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

Descending  into  the  great  forests  again, 
she  came  upon  a  huge  old  tulijD  tree  with 
a  small  hollow  at  its  centre  on  a  level 
with  the  ground,  evidently  at  one  time 
the  den  of  some  animal,  for  the  rotting 
protuberances  were  all  worn  smoothly 
away.  Its  height  would  not  permit  stand- 
ing erect,  but  Corona  calculated  that  two, 
perhaps  three,  persons  could  sit  comfort- 
ably within  the  hollow,  should  shelter  from 
a  storm  be  desired  at  any  time. 

She  would  show  this  to  Dan  without 
delay,  and  should  a  rain-cloud  descend 
upon  them  while  in  this  neighbourhood, 
they  could  henceforth  find  refuge  here.  It 
was  while  she  thought  of  this  that  she 
missed  the  deer.  Detecting  a  faint  sound 
of  howling  in  the  distance,  she  remem- 
bered her  uncle's  warning,  and  feared  the 
worst. 

In  a  few  minutes  fleet-footed  Atalanta 
bounded  through  some  neighbouring  laurel 
bushes  and  leaped  madly  forward.  At 
sight  of  Corona,  and  at  the  sound  of  her 
voice,  the  frightened  hind  halted  and  came 
to  her,  panting  and  trembling.  lo  followed 
in  another  moment.  The  howling  had  now 
grown  loud  and  fierce,   and  the    pursuers 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  8 1 

were  close  at  hand.  Corona  had  barely 
had  time  to  push  the  terrified  but  obedient 
young  deer  into  the  hollow  of  the  tree,  and 
follow  them,  when  half-a-dozen  wolves  burst 
through  the  laurel  and  halted  snarling  be- 
fore her. 

As  if  fully  aware  of  the  helplessness 
of  their  prey,  two  of  the  foremost  beasts 
sprang  half  way  into  the  hollow,  and, 
sinking  their  teeth  into  the  neck  of  poor 
Atalanta,  dragged  her  forth,  in  spite  of 
Corona's  threatening  cries  and  the  futile 
blows  from  her  bare  hands.  Fearlessly  the 
girl  went  forth  after  them,  and,  seizing 
a  large  stone,  dealt  one  of  the  wolves  a 
blow  which  caused  it  to  relax  its  hold  with 
a  howl  of  pain.  The  advantage  thus  gained 
was  only  momentary.  Two  more  wolves 
immediately  sprang  upon  the  bleeding 
hind,  a  third  seized  Coronals  dress  in  its 
teeth,  tearing  it  to  shreds,  while  a  fourth 
attacked  lo,  who  was  shrinking  in  the 
hollow. 

The  consequences  would  doubtless  have 
been  disastrous  for  Corona  as  well  as  her 
pets  but  for  the  fortunate  arrival  of  Gideon 
McLeod,  who,  while  hunting  on  the  moun- 
tain slope   at  no  great   distance,  heard  the 


S2  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

howling  and  hurried  to  the  scene.  Two  of 
the  wolves  were  quickly  shot,  and  the 
remainder  sought  the  safety  of  distance. 
But  poor  Atalanta  was  dead,  and  lo 
staggered  about,  bleeding  from  several 
wounds. 

For  the  first  time  since  the  day  of  Suui- 
merfield's  departure,  Corona  wept  copious 
tears,  and  could  with  difficulty  be  consoled. 
Having  examined  lo's  wounds  and  found 
that  they  were  not  serious,  at  the  weephig 
girl's  suggestion  Gideon  McLeod  sought  a 
burial-place  for  Atalanta.  Not  far  away  he 
found  a  small  rocky  hollow  in  a  steep  slope, 
and  here  was  deposited  the  dead  hind. 
Corona  first  strewing  the  bottom  with 
laurel  leaves,  regretting  that  she  could  not 
obtain  the  funereal  cypress  which  the  Trojan 
matrons  threw  into  the  graves  of  their  loved 
ones.  A  pile  of  loose  stones  was  heaped 
over  the  spot,  and  then  they  started  home- 
ward, i^oor  lo  limping  after  them.  All 
this  was  recorded  in  the  little  book  in  highly 
imaginative  style,  the  mystical,  ancient 
idea  of  metempsychosis  playing  a  part. 
Poor  Atalanta  was  made  the  flesh -clothed 
soul  of  a  beautiful  maid  of  some  far  time  — 
was   not   the   original   lo   transformed  into 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  83 

a  cow?  —  and  the  pack  of  wolves,  while 
scourged  with  a  whip  of  flaming  words, 
were  declared  the  eternal  prison-house  of 
the  souls  of  once  depraved  and  wicked  men. 

The  fall  and  winter  wore  awaj,  the 
monotony  of  Corona's  life  being  varied 
only  by  the  regular  visits  of  one  Jonathan 
Scruggs,  a  mountaineer  from  the  lower 
valley.  This  young  man,  who  was  not 
good  looking  or  otherwise  attractive,  ap- 
peared to  be  decidedly  deficient  in  mother 
wit,  and  could  not  take  no  for  an  answer. 
He  was  less  lacking  in  appreciation  of  his 
own  importance,  and  was  thoroughly  con- 
vinced that  Corona  would  succumb  to  his 
persuasive  eloquence  in  time.  However, 
he  was  wise  enough  not  to  be  disagreeably 
urgent,  and  so  his  frequent  presence  was 
tolerated  by  the  family,  the  elder  McLeod 
being  always  polite  to  him.  But  Dan 
more  than  once  meditated  a  quarrel, 
seeing  how  his  beloved  playmate  was 
annoyed. 

After  the  winter  snows  had  melted,  and 
Scamander  and  Simois  had  borne  the  waste 
of  water  down  to  the  lower  country,  when 
the  bare  trees  leafed  out  and  the  spring 
flowering  began.  Corona  was  less  unhappy 


84  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

while  still  thinking  of  him  who  had  come 
into  and  gone  out  of  her  life,  to  return  no 
more.  She  thought  of  him,  but  quietly, 
with  a  patience  and  resignation  which  she 
had  learned  at  last.  In  her  little  book  she 
wrote  that  the  budding  of  the  leaves  was 
her  returning  smile  after  the  dark  winter 
of  })ain  —  her  sad,  forgiving  smile  which 
would  go  downward  through  the  world  to 
him. 

One  day  early  in  June,  about  a  year  after 
the  departure  of  Summerfield,  she  walked 
forth  in  the  forest  alone.  It  was  afternoon, 
and  her  work  was  done  —  the  hour  when 
she  usually  went  out  with  Dan  ;  but  to-day 
she  avoided  him  and  slipped  away  alone. 
She  felt  unequal  to  the  tramp  up  to  the 
heights,  and  went  and  sat  by  the  roaring 
Simois,  watching  with  unfailing  interest  the 
turbulent  sweep  of  the  crystal  water  over 
the  rocks  and  shoals.  Her  old  fancies  re- 
turned to  her  as  she  lingered,  and  she 
found  herself  wondering  if,  after  all  the 
faithless  Summerfield  had  said,  the  naiads 
were  not  there  in  the  swirling  water, 
chasing  each  other  playfully  round  the 
eddies,  and  laughing  in  the  fullness  of  their 
content. 


Corona  of  the  Na^itahalas.  85 

The  path  she  chose  ia  returning  led  past 
the  cave  of  Calypso,  a  spot  still  yisited, 
though  associated  with  some  of  her  most 
painful  recollectioDS.  The  sun  had  set  ere 
she  reached  the  spot.  As  she  drew  near, 
the  sound  of  an  axe  caused  her  to  halt  in 
great  surprise.  A  little  nearer,  she  saw  that 
a  fire  glimmered  through  the  trees,  and  won- 
dered what  Dan,  who  should  be  at  home 
milking  the  cows,  could  be  doing  there  at 
this  hour. 

At  the  verge  of  the  open  in  front  of  the 
cave  the  girl  stopped,  amazed.  Close  to 
the  opening  in  the  rock  two  men  were 
engaged  in  driving  down  the  stakes  of 
a  small,  comfortable-looking  tent.  Near 
by,  two  horses  and  a  mule  were  tethered, 
and  between  the  stamping  animals  and 
the  busy  men,  a  saucepan  simmered  on 
a  fire.  A  tin  teapot,  a  few  other  utensils, 
and  some  unpacked  luggage,  all  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  fire,  completed  the 
catalogue  of  strange  objects  presented  to 
view. 

It  could  be  seen  at  a  glance  that  one  of 
the  men  was  a  mountaineer  from  the  lower 
valley.  As  a  twig  snapped  under  Corona's 
foot,  the  other  man  looked  up  quickly,  saw 


86  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

her,  and  came  forward.  There  was  still 
light  enough  for  the  girl  to  observe  that  he 
was  tall,  with  striking  but  not  handsome 
features.  His  dark  hair  and  eyes  seemed 
the  darker  in  contrast  with  the  pallor  of  his 
face.  He  wore  a  woollen  cap,  a  grey  Nor- 
folk jacket,  and  dark  trousers ;  and  though 
neither  of  the  latter  fitted  as  well  as  they 
might,  it  was  evident  that  he  was  a  man  of 
the  world.  As  he  approached.  Corona  re- 
gretted that  she  had  not  exchanged  her 
plain  working  garb  for  one  of  her  Greek 
gowns. 

"Good  evening,  madam,"  he  said.  ''I 
suppose  you  are  from  Mr.  McLeod's  ?" 

"Yes.  I  was  passing  this  way  —  I  did 
not  know  you  were  here,"  she  answered. 

"My  name  is  Edward  Darnell.  I  have 
come  here  in  order  to  study  the  flora  —  the 
plants.  We  passed  your  house  this  after- 
noon, and  would  have  stopped,  but  saw  no 
one  about.  There  was  little  time  to  lose, 
and  we  came  on  here  and  struck  camp. 
Do  you  suppose  Mr.  McLeod  will  have 
any  objection  to  my  camping  here  for  a 
time  ?  " 

"None  at  all,  I  am  sure.  How  could 
he?" 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  8/ 

"Thank  you.  I  thought  it  a  suitable 
place  on  account  of  the  little  cave.  I  can 
build  my  fire  there  on  rainy  nights." 

It  occurred  to  Corona  that  to  make  a 
kitchen  of  that  cave  would  be  a  desecra- 
tion, and  it  was  the  expression  of  her  face 
which  prompted  him  to  add  : 

"  But  perhaps  I  intrude.  It  seems  to 
have  been  used " 

"You  do  not  intrude.  It  was  only  used 
as  a  playhouse  when  my  cousin  and  I  were 
children.     You  are  welcome  to  it." 

Again  he  expressed  his  thanks,  and  she 
turned  to  move  away.  "  I  must  go.  My 
uncle  will  like  to  see  you  at  the  house,"  she 
said. 

Darnell  had  contracted  the  unwholesome 
habit  of  thinking  aloud  at  times,  from  living 
much  alone,  and  when  she  had  gone,  and 
he  turned  toward  the  fire,  he  absently  re- 
marked—  the  mountaineer  being  too  far 
away  to  hear  : 

"  She  doesn't  make  as  striking  a  picture 
as  I  expected  —  for  of  course  this  is  she. 
I  might  have  known  that  Summerfield's 
imagination  had  coloured  everything  con- 
nected with  her." 


VIII. 

"I  LIKE  your  mountains,"  said  Darnell, with 
great  cheerfulness.  **  Already  I  have  dis- 
covered a  new  plant — a  new  species.  I  say 
new  —  it  may  be  as  old  as  the  mountains 
themselves;  what  I  mean  is  that  it  is  not 
recorded  in  the  books.  At  this  rate  I  shall 
be  on  the  high  road  to  fame  before  the 
summer  is  over." 

"  Is  it  worth  so  much  to  find  a  new 
plant  ?  "  asked  Corona. 

*^It  is  a  distinct  gain  for  science." 

Darnell  sat  on  a  goods  box  near  his  tent. 
Stretched  out  at  full  length  in  front  of  him 
lay  Dan,  devouring  him  with  his  glance; 
and  close  to  the  deaf  mute  Corona  sat  up- 
right in  a  low  hammock.  Two  weeks  had 
passed  since  the  botanist's  arrival,  and  all 
his  arrangements  for  a  summer's  sojourn 
were  now  complete^.     The  mountaineer  who 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  89 

had  brought  him  and  his  goods  up  from 
the  lower  valley  had  long  since  returned, 
taking  the  horses  on  which  they  had  ridden, 
and  the  pack-mule  which  had  staggered 
beneath  the  weight  of  the  tent,  the  blankets, 
the  canned  goods,  the  outmeal,  and  the  rest 
of  the  camper's  outfit.  Several  visits  had 
meanwhile  been  made  at  the  farm-houee, 
where  he  was  cordially  entertained,  and 
Darnell  now  felt  well  acquainted  with  its 
unusual  inhabitants,  and  thoroughly  do- 
mesticated at  Lonelv  Cove. 

Corona  interested  him  intensely  from  the 
first,  not  as  a  type  —  or  rather  as  a  unique 
specimen  —  of  womankind,  not  as  a  literary 
artist's  material  or  model,  but  as  a  women, 
as  a  strong,  free  nature  which  had  de- 
veloped beyond  the  reach  of  the  trivialities 
of  civilization.  A  certain  vague  disap- 
pointment, which  had  been  felt  at  the 
first  glimpse,  was  quickly  effaced  and  for- 
gotten. 

The  cave  was  hardly  half  a  mile  away, 
but  Corona  had  felt  shy  about  going  there, 
and  it  was  only  now,  at  the  end  of  two 
weeks,  that  she  took  Dan  with  her  and 
made  their  new  neighbour  a  visit.  Gideon 
McLeod  had   gone   several  times,   and   the 


go  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

two  men  had  sat  and  smoked  together  with 
great  amity,  each  seeming  to  like  and  re- 
spect the  other  from  the  first  meeting. 

Almost  as  a  matter  of  course,  Darnell 
was  soon  cordially  invited  to  make  the  farm- 
house his  home,  but  he  politely  refused. 
In  order  to  make  amends  for  what  seemed 
to  them  a  shockingly  inhospitable  state  of 
things,  the  McLeods  sent  Dan  to  tlie  camp 
with  frequent  presents— as  a  chicken  pre- 
pared for  the  pot,  or  a  hind  quarter  of 
mutton  or  venison. 

After  this  first  visit,  Corona  found  it 
easier  to  go,  and  as  time  passed  their  inter- 
course became  more  and  more  a  source  of 
pleasure.  Later  on  it  seemed  the  most 
natural  of  all  things  to  walk  out  with  Dan 
every  afternoon  and  halt  for  some  time  at 
Darnell's  camp,  while  the  young  man,  on 
his  part,  fell  readily  into  the  habit  of 
spending  two  hours  each  evening  at  the 
farm-house,  smoking  on  the  porch  with 
Gideon  McLeod,  but  talking  mostly  for  the 
benefit  of  Corona,  who  always  sat  by. 

''Do  you  believe  in  the  gods,  Edward?" 
the  girl  asked  suddenly,  as  they  walked 
together  in  the  woods  one  afternoon,  ac- 
companied only  by  the  earless  Dan. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas,  91 

"It  perhaps  does  not  matter  here,"  said 
Darnell,  *'  but  if  you  were  out  in  the  world 
it  would  not  do  to  call  a  young  man  by  his 
Christian  name,  unless  you  had  known  him 
very  intimately  for  a  long  while." 

"I  did  not  know,"  said  Corona,  with  a 
blush.  After  some  hesitation  she  continued: 
*'I  always  spoke  to  Henry  so,  although  I 
saw  him  only  for  a  few  days,  and  he  did 
not — tell  me."  It  was  her  first  reference  to 
Summerfield. 

*'He  ought  to  have  told  you." 

^' Did  you  know  him?"  she  faltered. 
This  question  had  many  times  trembled  on 
her  lips. 

"If  you  mean  Henry  Summerfield,  yes. 
I    saw    him    recently.     He    is  a  friend  of 


mine." 


"Is  he— well?" 

"He  is  the  picture  of  health." 

"  Will  he  come  to  the  mountains  to — to — 
see  you  ?  " 

"Not  likely.  No  ;  I  don't  think  he  will 
ever  come  here  again." 

They  walked  on  then  in  silence  till  they 
reached  a  point  where  the  little  mountain 
river  which  Corona  had  named  from  the 
Homeric  Simois  fell  with  a  thunderous  roar 


92  Corona  of  the  NantaJialas. 

some  seventy  feet  over  the  rocks.  There 
they  halted  long,  and  she,  half  smiling,  half 
serious,  bade  him  listen  and  he  would  hear 
the  naiads  singing.  She  freely  told  him  how 
often  she  had  waited  and  watched  along  the 
stream,  hoping  to  see  them  ;  she  knew  they 
came  out  and  spoke  to  the  dryads  of  the 
forest  when  she  had  gone. 

"  These  are  only  the  poetic  fancies  of  the 
ancients,"  he  said,  hardly  smiling.  '^  They 
are  not  to  be  entertained  seriously,  as 
realities." 

"  They  have  been  very  real  to  me."  After 
a  moment's  thought  she  added  :  ^'  You  did 
not  answer  about  the  gods." 

''Did  you  mean  to  ask  if  I  believed  the 
gods  really  existed  ?  If  so,  certainly  not. 
The  ancients  may  have  seen  something  of 
a  hidden  and  true  meaning  in  those  old 
tales,  but  to  us  they  are  nothing  but  fables. 
There  were  many  noble  men  among  the 
ancients,  but  even  these  for  tlie  most  part 
groped  in  comparative  darkness." 

"I  cannot  believe  that — not  as  yet,"  re- 
sponded Corona,  earnestly.  "  To  me  the 
ancients  seem  to  have  been  the  best  and 
wisest  of  men,  understanding  the  most  pro- 
found questions," 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  93 

''  It  is  likely  enough/'  he  rejoined,  ''  that 
they  often  saw  a  meaning  ia  what  is  to  us 
meaningless/' 

"  Can  you  tell  me  why  it  is,"  she  asked, 
^'  that  when  I  have  good  thoughts  all  things 
appear  more  pleasing  ?  Even  the  birds  fly- 
ing across  my  path  are  then  the  harmless 
and  beautiful  ones.  But  when  I  have  evil 
thoughts  there  is  a  change  —  nothing  is 
beautiful,  and  if  I  walk  out  I  am  sure  to 
see  birds  of  prey,  or  snakes,  and  such  ugly 
things." 

'^  You  never  think  or  do  evil  ?" 

"  Indeed,  yes.  Does  not  every  one,  at 
times  ?  I  remember  once  when  my  aunt 
wanted  me  to  weave,  I  refused,  and  ran 
away  to  the  woods  ;  and  the  first  things  I 
saw  were  a  hawk,  a  toad,  and  a  poisonous 
snake." 

The  next  day  she  asked  him  if  he  under- 
stood the  Logos  of  Plato,  and  by  way  of 
rejoinder  he  said  : 

^^  You  know  too  much  about  the  ancient 
world  and  not  enough  about  the  modern. 
It  is  certainly  true  that  the  modern  world 
is  more  or  less  over-educated  as  to  the  head 
and  gone  to  decay  as  to  the  heart,  and  in 
some  ways   the   ancient  was  perhaps  best; 


94  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

but  the  latter  is  ages  gone,  while  the  former 
is  at  hand.  You  must  read  some  modern 
books." 

He  said  he'  had  a  few  that  would  be  use- 
ful to  her,  and  proposed  that  they  read 
them  together  and  discuss  them  —  which 
suggestion  pleased  her  greatly.  ^'  I  am  not 
a  wise  man/'  he  said,  smiling,  "  but  I  can 
tell  you  a  good  many  things  that  you  need 
to  know.'' 

*'  You  are  not  beautiful  like  Henry," 
Corona  naively  informed  Darnell  one  day 
toward  midsummer,  "  but  you  are  good, 
most  good,  and  I  like  you  as  I  never  liked 
any  one  before,  except  him.  If  I  could 
have  a  brother,  I  should  wish  him  to  be 
you." 

"  I  should  prefer  some  one  else  to  be 
your  brother  ! "  he  answered  quickly,  a 
strange  glow  leaping  to  life  in  his  quiet 
eyes. 

Corona  supposed  he  must  be  offended, 
wondered  wherefore,  and  changed  the  sub- 
ject. A  day  or  two  later,  as  they  talked 
over  a  book  they  had  read  together  in  which 
there  was  much  about  love,  she  fully  con- 
fessed her  feeling  for  Summerfield,  earnestly 
avowing  that  she  could  never  love  another. 


Corona  of  the  NantaJialas.  95 

and  describing  what  displeasure  was  ex- 
cited in  her  bj  the  attentious  of  her  moun- 
taineer suitors.  Darnell  listened  without 
much  comment,  the  same  curious  fire  in 
the  eyes  which  now  and  then  were  fixed 
upon  her. 

''What  a  Penelope  you  are!"  he  said,  as 
she  referred  to  her  suitors  from  the  valley. 

"Am  I  not  rather  a  Calypso  or  a  Dido, 
since  Henry  has  deserted  me?"  she  asked 
frankly,  almost  mournfully. 

"  Far  from  it.  You  did  not  love  as  they 
loved.  No;  your  love  was  only  a  thing  of 
the  imagination." 

''  If  you  but  knew  what  pain  I  felt — still 
feel,"  she  said,  solemnly. 

"Love  is  a  union  of  two  minds  or  souls 
of  a  similar  cast  which  mentally  attract 
each  other,"  he  pursued.  "  There  cannot 
be  this  union  until  two  people  thoroughly 
know  each  other  inwardly  as  well  as  out- 
wardly, and  no  two  can  come  to  know  each 
other  in  this  way  in  the  space  of  a  few  days. 
Therefore  your  love  was  not  real." 

But  she  refused  to  be  convinced,  and  the 
next  day,  in  order  to  refute  him,  brought 
her  journal  and  read  aloud  to  him  much  of 
what   she  had  written  during  the  past  year 


96  Corona  of  the  NantahaL 


tto. 


Darnell  listened  with  profound  interest,  dis- 
relish, admiration,  amazement,  written  on 
his  face  bj  turns. 

''What  do  you  say  now,  dear  friend?" 
she  asked  at  last. 

The  young  man  was  slow  to  answer. 
''I  am  of  the  same  opinion,"  he  said  at  last. 
"This  writing  does  not  prove  that  you 
truly  loved,  but  I  think  it  proves  that  you 
might  become  a  poet." 


IX. 

OxE  day,  when  Dan  was  too  busy  to  ac- 
company her,  serenely  ignorant  of  the  im- 
propriety of  such  a  j)roceeding,  Corona 
visited  the  camp  alone.  Glad  enough  to 
have  her  all  to  himself,  Darnell,  too,  forget 
conventionality  and  proposed  her  favourite 
ramble.  Together  the  two  then  walked  or 
climbed  to  the  top  of  Mount  Parnassus. 
Darnell  thought  no  pen  could  suggest  the 
impressiveness  of  the  endless  mountain  soli- 
tudes encompassing  them.  To  him  the  sol- 
emn stillness  was  sometimes  terrible,  and  yet 
beautiful,  for  it  seemed  to  speak  with  a  thou- 
sand faint  and  far  away  voices  of  things 
ineffable;  fit  abiding  place  for  the  poet- 
souled  girl  at  his  side. 

They  spoke  frequently  of  things  beyond 
their  surroundings,  and  were  more  intent 
on  each   other  than    on   the   sights    before 


98  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

their  eyes ;  but  afterward  it  seeraed  to  Dar- 
nell that  every  smallest  detail  of  that  moun- 
tain climb  was  pictured  on  his  memory. 
The  vast  solitude,  the  profound  stillness 
full  of  strange  whisperings,  the  endless  for- 
ests, the  brawling  streams,  the  deep  ravines, 
the  gardens  of  white  birches,  the  jungles 
of  dark  laurel,  the  vivid  colours  of  the 
rhododendron,  the  still  ferns,  the  damp 
green  mosses  on  the  rocks,  the  black  balsams 
shuddering  and  groaning  before  the  gale  at 
the  summit,  the  cold  sweep  of  the  air  cur- 
rents over  then  arrow,  grass  grown  "bald," 
the  pale  sunlight  and  azure  sky,  the  deep, 
deep,  hazy  valleys,  the  crow^ding  blue  moun- 
tains far  away  —  this  was  the  picture  that 
went  with  him  for  days  as  a  background 
for  the  yet  more  vivid  image  of  the  girl  at 
his  side. 

As  they  climbed  upward  their  con- 
versation wandered  to  the  subject  of  the 
Muses. 

"Did  you  name  this  mountain  Parnassus 
because  you  thought  the  immortal  Nine 
would  be  more  likely  to  appear  to  you  here 
than  elsewhere  ?  "  asked  Darnell. 

^•'Yes.  I  thought  they  would  choose  it 
because  it  was  the  most  beautiful." 


Corona  of  the  Nantahatas.  99 

^^It  may  be  that  Calliope  lias  appeared 
to  you,"  said  the  young  man,  turning  upon 
his  companion  a  pair  of  laughing  eyes. 
*'  Doubtless  she  came  while  you  were  asleep, 
imprinted  a  kiss  on  your  forehead,  and  left 
her  shadow  behind.  Then,  in  the  morning, 
you  rose  and  began  to  write  those  poetical 
fancies." 

^'I  used  to  hope  especially  to  meet  Cal- 
liope and  Clio  here,"  she  told  him  seriously. 
^'  They  were  my  favourites.  But  after  Henry 
left  it  seemed  to  me  that  Melpomene  would 
more  likely  visit  me." 

'^ It  may  be  that  /have  made  the  acquain- 
tance of  Erato  without  seeking  it,"  said 
Darnell  with  heightened  colour,  then  abruptly 
called  Corona's  attention  to  a  rare  flower 
which  they  were  passing. 

.  As  they  stood  on  Parnassus'  grass-covered, 
treeless  top  an  hour  later,  and  looked  far  out 
0:1  an  endless  scene  of  mountain  peaks  and 
ridges  crowding  to  the  horizon  in  every 
quarter,  some  of  them  in  shadow,  some 
gleaming  in  the  pale  sunlight  —  all  wooded, 
the  nearer  dark  green,  the  distant  milky 
blue,  and  none  marked  by  a  single  clearing 
or  sign  of  a  human  habitation  —  as  tliey 
gazed   upon   this    indescribably   grand   and 


100         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

louely  prospect,  the  botanist's  quick  eye 
took  note  that  clouds  were  gathering  and 
drifting  toward  their  own  lofty  point. 
Slowly  the  great  aerial  monsters  swam  to- 
ward them  from  the  far  horizon,  becoming 
more  and  more  clearly  outlined  as  they 
drew  near.  Some  were  above,  some  on  a 
level,  and  some  below  the  top  of  Parnassus; 
all  basked  in  a  sea  of  sunshine  from  above, 
contrasting  with  the  darker  atmosphere 
below  through  which  the  rain  fell  fast  as 
from  great  sieves.  Enormous  patclies  of 
shade  in  the  deep  valleys  below  imitated  the 
uncertain  movements  of  the  great  Protean 
creatures  on  high. 

As  the  vast,  ragged  cloud-bodies  floated 
nearer,  sudden  flashes  of  lightning  zig- 
zagged from  one  to  another,  and  a  deafen- 
ing roar  of  thunder  reverberated  through 
the  mountains.  The  suggestion  was  of 
gigantic  swimming  monsters  at  war,  each 
plunging  a  sword  of  flame  into  the  breast 
of  his  adversary,  and  bellowing  hoarsely 
and  mightily  when  so  served  in  turn. 
As  the  battle  raged,  the  loosened  rain 
descended  upon  the  fair  valleys  in  tor- 
rents. 

**  We  shall  get  wet,"  announced  Darnell. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  loi 

''Those  clouds  will  be  here  in  less  than 
fifteen  minutes. " 

He  turned  to  go,  but  Corona  still  gazed 
enrapt,  loath  to  move.  A  second  suggestion 
of  retreat  was  made,  somewhat  more 
urgently,  and  then  they  hurried  away  on 
the  downward  track.  They  had  scarcely 
entered  the  forest  when  the  treeless  top  of 
the  peak  was  enveloped  in  the  higher  va- 
pours, and  in  a  few  minutes  the  wliole  upper 
portion  of  the  mountain  was  wrapped  in  the 
dense  gray  mist  we  call  a  cloud.  Hurrying 
downward  through  this,  they  soon  passed 
beloTv^  the  region  of  cloud-land,  where  the 
rain  no  longer  floated,  but  fell,  and  fell 
heavily. 

They  were  now  not  far  from  the  hollow 
tree  where  Atalanta  had  fallen  a  prey  to 
the  wolves,  and  it  was  decided  to  seek  the 
shelter  of  that  retreat.  Corona  led  the  way 
at  a  run,  and  they  reached  the  place  in  time 
to  escape  a  thorough  drenching.  There 
they  were  obliged  to  remain  an  hour  or 
more,  as  the  rain  continued  to  fall  steadily, 
accompanied  by  blinding  flashes  of  light- 
ning and  a  perceptible  quaking  of  the 
mountain  after  each  thunderous  roar. 

The  hollow   of    the  tulip  was   far  from 


I02         Corona  of  the  Na7itaJialas. 

ample,  and  the  refugees  were  necessarily 
bronglit  into  close  contact.  As  they  sat 
thus,  while  the  storm  raged  without,  Darnell 
was  obliged  to  struggle  hard  to  resist  the 
oft-recurring  desire  to  put  his  arm  around 
his  companion.  They  were  all  alone  on 
the  wild,  stormy  mountain;  each  had  only 
the  other,  and  should  be  all  the  world  to 
that  other.  How  Darnell  wished  it  were 
literally  true  that  she  had  liim  only!  Corona, 
on  her  part,  felt  now  and  then  that  she  would 
like  to  rest  her  tired  head  on  his  shoulder, 
just  as  she  would  have  done  had  Dan  been 
at  her  side  instead;  he  was  such  a  dear, 
wise  friend,  had  become  so  necessary  to 
her,  and  she  liked  and  trusted  him  so 
thoroughly. 

"I  wish  you  were  my  brother,"  she  said 
innocentlv  at  last.  "Then  we  could  be 
together  always." 

**  Don't  say  such  things  —  it  is  too  painful 
to  listen  to!"  he  rejoined  quickly,  and  as 
she  looked  into  his  face  she  saw  that  he  was 
deeply  moved. 

"  What  can  you  mean  ? "  she  asked  in 
astonishment  and  concern. 

''I  mean  that  this  is  a  strange  world, 
where  love  wastes  itself  on   every  side,   in 


Corona  of  the  Nantahatas.  103 

vain.  You  love  Summerfield,  or  think  you 
do,  and  he  will  never  love  jou.  I  love  you, 
and  you  cannot  love  me.  You  want  me  to 
be  your  brother,  and  I  want  you  to  be  my 
wife  ! " 

''  Oh,  Edward  !  " 

'^  It  is  true.  I  asked  your  uncle  last 
week  if  I  might  become  a  suitor,  and  he 
agreed." 

'*  I  am  very  sorry,"  she  said,  simply,  a 
pained  look  on  her  face.  **I  can  never  love 
again." 

Darnell  started  up  suddenly.  '^  I  must 
get  out  of  this,"  he  said,  huskily,  and  stepped 
outside. 

Fortunately  the  rain  had  now  decreased 
to  a  drizzle.  He  stood  in  it  waiting,  bid- 
ding her  remain  where  she  was.  A  few 
minutes  later  she  ventured  out  in  spite  of 
his  protest.  However,  the  drizzle  was  soon 
over  now. 

'^  I  was  never  in  love  before,  and  it  is  hard 
to  bear  ;  but  you  need  not  be  afraid  of  me," 
he  said,  with  a  ghostly  smile. 

"  I  shall  never  be  afraid  of  you,"  she 
answered  gently. 

Tho  subject  was  then  dismissed.  Calling 
him  to  look  at  the  pile  of  stones    over  the 


104         Corona  of  the  N ant ahalas. 

grave  of  Atalanta,  Coroua  told  the  story  of 
the  memorable  day  of  the  poor  hind's 
death.  And  afterward,  as  they  descended 
the  mountain,  he  walked  ahead  in  silence, 
carefully  shaking  the  rain  from  the  branches 
which  must  touch  her. 


X. 


Corona  did  not  visit  the  camp  next  day, 
but  Darnell  came  to  the  farm-house  as  usual 
in  the  evening,  and  sat  and  smoked  with  her 
uncle  on  the  porch.  As  he  rose  to  go  at 
nine  o'clock,  she  rose,  too,  and  accompanied 
him  to  the  gate. 

"  If  what  you  told  me  yesterday  is  —  is 
true,"  she  said,  *'  perhaps  we  should  see  less 
of  each  other." 

^'  Do  you  want  to  torture  me  ! "  he  asked 
with  such  a  fierceness  of  gloom  that  she  was 
frightened. 

"  That  is  why — why  I  did  not  go  to-day," 
she  added  gently,  then  said  good-night,  and 
turned  toward  the  house. 

Next  morning,  while  out  in  the  mountains 
looking  after  his  sheep,  Gideon  McLeod  had 
a  fall  and  sprained  his  ankle  so  severely 
that,   although   he    dragged   himself  home, 


i  06         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

lie  was  confined  to  the  house  a  week  there- 
after. At  first  he  suffered  much  pain,  and 
the  two  anxious  women  cared  for  him  very 
tenderly.  Thus  Corona^  who  doubted  the 
wisdom  of  going  near  Darnell,  found  an 
excuse  for  staying  at  home. 

It  was  near  noon  0^  tlie  third  day  after  the 
accident  that  Jonathan  Scruggs,  Corona's 
persistent  suitor,  appeared  at  the  gate  and 
hailed  her  uncle.  His  manner  was  excited, 
and  his  horse  was  wet  with  sweat  and 
flecked  with  foam.  Evidently  he  had  ridden 
up  from  the  lower  valley  in  great  haste. 

Mrs.  j\rcLeod  went  out  and  invited  him 
to  *' 'light,"  beginning  at  once  to  tell  him 
of  the  accident  to  her  husband.  The  visitor 
listened  to  the  particulars  with  manifest 
signs  of  impatience.  He  was  a  well-grown 
young  man  of  twenty-five,  already  a  little 
inclined  to  be  stout,  whose  excessively  florid 
complexion  was  perhaps  partly  due  to 
exposure,  but  more  largely  to  vigorous 
health. 

"  I  ain't  got  time  to  'light,"  said  he,  look- 
ing behind  him  anxiously.  '^  They'll  be 
h-yer  turreckly.  I  li-yeared  'em  say  thar  to 
Wolf  Creek  that  the  revenue  men  and  the 
sheriff  aimed  to  'rest  Gid  McLeod,  and  I  rid 


Corona  of  the  Na7itahalas.        107 

up  right  off  to  tell  you,  so  the  old  man  'ud 
have  time  to  hide  out." 

"'Eest  him  for  what?''  asked  Mrs. 
McLeod,  bewildered. 

"Fur  distillin'  whisky." 

"He  ain't  no  distiller,"  declared  the 
wife,  indignant. 

"Well,  that's  what  they're  after  him  fur, 
and  I  thought  1  ought  to  let  you  all  know. 
Good-bye  —  I'm  gone.  They'll  be  h-yer  in 
ten  minutes,  and  it  won't  do  fur  'em  to  see 
me.     It  was  all  I  could  do  to  git  h-yer  first." 

"  Thank  you,  Jonathan,"  called  out 
Corona,  who  had  come  out  on  the  porch 
and  overheard  everything.  To  gain  favor 
with  her  had  been  the  young  mountaineer's 
main  object  in  coming,  and  he  now  de- 
parted well  satisfied  with  himself. 

The  two  women  hurried  in  and  reported 
everything  to  the  lame  man.  As  it  was 
impossible  to  go  forth  and  hide  himself  in 
the  mountains,  Gideon  McLeod  decided  to 
stay  where  he  was,  ordering  the  house  shut 
up  close  in  order  to  give  the  impression 
that  nobody  was  at  home.  To  Corona  this 
seemed  unwise,  but  she  knew  not  what  else 
to  suggest.  Before  the  door  was  closed, 
however,  she  took  a  horn  out  on  the  porch 


io8        Coroita  of  the  Natitahalas. 

and  blew  three  long  blasts.  Darnell  had 
proposed  that  she  should  call  him  in  this 
way  if  she  should  ever  have  need  of  him, 
and  she  felt  sure  he  would  be  of  use 
now. 

When  shut  up,  the  house  looked  inno- 
cent enough,  except  in  one  particular  —  the 
smoke  issuing  from  one  of  the  chimneys. 
A  fire  burned  in  the  room  where  the  lame 
man  lay,  and  this  fact  was  overlooked  in  his 
calculations.  Accordingly,  when  four  horse- 
men shortly  emerged  from  the  woods  and 
halted  at  the  gate  they  were  not  deceived. 
After  a  careful  survey  of  their  surroundings, 
three  of  them  dismounted  and  approached 
the  house.  One  of  these  was  the  county 
sheriff,  another  a  revenue  collector.  The 
former  knocked  loudly  at  the  door,  and 
after  some  moments  of  dead  silence  called 
out  authoritatively : 

"  Open  this  h-yer  door!  In  the  name  of 
the  law  I  summons  Gideon  McLeod  to 
come  out." 

The  majesty  of  the  law  was  disregarded, 
for  there  was  no  response,  and  the  only 
sound  was  that  of  the  sheriff's  loud  knock 
as  it  w^ent  off  echoing  among  the  hills. 
After  knocking  and  calling  repeatedly,  the 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         109 

angry  representative  of  the  law  uttered  an 
oath  and  shouted: 

''  Bring  me  the  axe  !     They  can't  fool  me." 

Gideon  McLeod  leaped  out  of  bed  and 
reached  for  his  gun,  which  stood  in  the 
corner  of  the  room;  but  as  he  came  down 
upon  his  lame  foot  his  face  was  distorted 
with  agony,  and  he  fell  groaning  on  the 
floor.  Leaving  Mrs.  McLeod  with  him, 
Corona  disappeared  along  the  passage 
leading  to  the  back  porch.  Unfastening 
the  door,  she  went  out  and  shut  it  softly 
behind  her.  Then  she  walked  around  the 
house  and  faced  the  intruders. 

"  What  do  you  want  here  ? "  she  asked 
haughtily. 

All  eyes  were  riveted  upon  her,  and  ad- 
miration showed  on  every  face.  Corona 
had  never  been  so  angry  in  all  her  life. 
Her  faced  was  flushed,  her  eyes  flashed,  her 
breath  came  in  short,  quick  gasps.  They 
thought  her  beautiful  beyond  all  the  re- 
ports they  had  heard. 

"We  "want  Gid  McLeod,"  said  the 
sherifl',  after  dropping  the  axe  jast  brought 
him  and  backing  away  from  the  door. 
"We  got  a  warrant  to  arrest  him  for  dis- 
tillin'  whisky." 


I  lo        Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

"  Are  you  the  sheriff  ?  "  asked  the  girl. 

*'I  am,  mura." 

*^And  you  intend  to  arrest  an  innocent 
man  ?  " 

"  We  got  the  proofs,  mum.  A  man  was 
up  h-yer  some  time  back  and  seen  it  goin' 


on." 


'^  Which  man  was  that  ? "  demanded 
Corona,  looking  eagerly  from  one  face  to 
another.  ^'Is  there  a  man  here  who  will 
dare  tell  me  he  saw  it  going  on  ?  "  Again 
she  looked  from  one  to  another,  and  every 
eye  quailed  before  her. 

"  We  got  the  proofs,"  repeated  the  sheriff 
uneasily. 

^'  The  man  who  says  he  saw  whisky  dis- 
tilled here  Z/es,"  spoke  Corona,  in  low, 
distinct  tones.  **  Were  he  sheriff,  judge  or 
king,  I  would  tell  him  to  his  face  that  he 
lies." 

The  three  men  stared  at  their  accuser, 
dumbfounded.  There  was  now  th  sound  of 
the  opening  of  the  gate.  Corona  glanced 
that  way,  saw  Darnell,  and  ran  to  meet  him 
eagerly. 

'•These  wicked  men,"  she  said  excitedly, 
'-want  to  arrest  my  uncle  and  carry  him 
away  to  jail." 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  in 

She  hurriedly  told  him  of  the  warning 
brought  by  Scruggs,  of  her  uncle's  deter- 
mination to  shut  up  the  house,  of  the 
arrival  of  the  raiders,  and  of  the  assault 
upon  the  door.  As  soon  as  the  situation 
was  clearly  before  him  Darnell  advised  her 
to  go  instantly  and  open  every  door  and 
window,  and  tell  her  uncle  not  to  be 
alarmed.  Then  he  walked  forward  and 
spoke  to  the  men. 

*'  Surely  you  have  made  a  mistake  and 
come  to  the  wrong  place,"  he  began 
mildly. 

''  No,  we  hain't,"  declared  the  sheriff. 
"Ef  this  warn't  the  place,  what  made  'em 
lock  up  that  way  and  try  to  fool  us  ?  " 

*'  They  received  warning  of  your  ap- 
proach and  were  badly  frightened  —  that 
was  all." 

'^  Warning,  eh  ?  We  knowed  somebody 
rid  up  ahead  of  us.  We  seen  the  fresh 
tracks." 

"There  is  no  whisky  distillery  here," 
Darnell  declared  earnestly.  ^'  I  have 
camped  for  seven  weeks  within  half  a 
mile  of  this  house,  and  spent  a  great  deal 
of  my  time  here,  and  I  have  seen  no 
signs  of   anything   of    the    sort.     You    are 


•112         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

on  the  wrong  scent,  and  you  will  find  it 
out/' 

They  saw  that  they  had  to  deal  with  an 
intelligent  man  of  the  world,  and  listened 
to  him  respectfully.  The  sheriff,  who  had 
heard  of  the  "  camping  gentleman,"  and 
was  not  surprised  to  meet  him,  showed  his 
warrant.  The  revenue  collector  also 
stepped  forward,  and  unfolding  a  news- 
paper which  he  took  from  his  pocket,  he 
invited  Darnell  to  look  at  the  "proof." 
The  latter  saw  at  a  glance  that  it  was  a 
copy  of  the  paper  with  which  Summerfield 
had  a  regular  connection.  He  found  that  it 
contained  a  letter  from  the  North  Carolina 
mountains  signed  "  Henry  Summerfield," 
with  such  startling  headlines  as  "  On  the 
Track  of  the  Moonshiners,"  ''How  the 
Mountain  Dew  is  Bought  and  Sold,"  "Our 
Correspondent  Discovers  an  Illicit  Dis- 
tillery at  Lonely  Cove." 

Glancing  hastily  through  the  letter, 
Darnell's  eyes  were  arrested  by  the  follow- 
ing paragraph  : 

*'The  cave  was  naiTOW  at  the  opening,  but 
widened  as  we  proceeded.  A  number  of  dark, 
irregular  passages   strayed   off  from   the  central 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         1 1 3 

cavern  which  we  were  following.  An  unex- 
pected turn  brought  us  upon  the  place.  Sud- 
denly an  uncertain,  reddish  haze  swam  before 
our  eyes ;  then  came  dusky,  distorted  figures, 
curling  smoke,  and  a  fixed  band  of  flamy  red — 
the  latter,  as  was  soon  found,  being  the  coals 
visible  beneath  the  closed  door  of  the  furnace. 
At  this  moment  the  door  itself  was  thrown  open 
with  a  rusty  creak,  the  strong  red  light  revealing 
several  uncouth  figures,  one  bent  over  to  feed 
the  fire,  another  seated  on  an  inverted  basket, 
a  third  but  dimly  outlined  in  the  gloom  beyond. 

The    central    feature    of    the 

place  was  the  rude  furnace  of  fire  rock,  with 
its  all-important  .  accompaniment  of  a  small 
copper  still,  the  neck  of  which  curved  away 
into  the  shadow.  The  sound  of  gurgling  water 
from  an  underground  spring  was  heard,  as  it 
flowed  through  the  tub  where  the  worm  was 
coiled  and  served  to  condense  the  precious 
vapors  which  dripped  slowly  into  the  primitive 
receiver." 

''Have  you  noticed  that  this  paper  is 
nearly  a  year  old  ?"  asked  Darnell,  breaking 
off  from  what  he  was  reading. 

''Yrs/'  replied  the  revenue  collector, 
rather  uneasily.  ''The  fact  is,  that  marked 
copy  was  mailed  to  me  last  fall,  but  it 
got  misplaced,   and  T  only  read   the  article 


1 14         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

two  weeks  ago.  I  began  to  try  to  find  out 
where  Lonely  Cove  was  right  off,  but  didn't 
succeed  till  I  stopped  at  Wolf  Creek  yester- 
day. They  told  me  there  that  Gideon 
McLeod  was  the  only  man  who  had  a 
place  up  here,  so  I  got  out  a  warrant  against 

'^And  on  such  a  flimsy  bit  of  evidence  as 
this  you  expect  to  drag  a  man  away  from  his 
home  ?" 

^'  Well,  you  see,  I  calculated  to  surprise 
him  and  get  positive  proof." 

**If  you  can  do  that,  justice  will  be  on 
your  side,"  said  Darnell.  ^'  But  you  will 
have  to  go  to  work  and  find  that  wonderful 
cave  and  all  it  contains,  as  described  in  this 
paper.  There  is  a  cave — a  very  little  one — 
but  you  will  be  mightly  disappointed  when 
you  go  through  it.  I  venture  to  say  that  if 
you  kept  a  spy  in  these  mountains  for  six 
months,  you  would  get  no  more  'proof  than 
you  have  now." 

'^  Well,  we'll  take  a  look  around  anyhow," 
said  the  revenue  collector,  with  a  knowing 
look,  but  yet  with  somewhat  of  a  disap- 
pointed air. 

'^  We'd  hardly  have  a  right  to  take  him, 
less'n  we  could  find  a  plant  or  a  stock  of 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas,         1 1 5 

liquor  some'res  about,"  remarked  the  sheriff 
dubiously,  inclining  to  Darnell's  view  of 
the  case.  He  had  a  lurking  sympathy  for 
McLeod,  innocent  or  guilty.  He  had  never 
been  able  to  understand  why  a  man  should 
not  be  allowed  to  turn  a  portion  of  the 
fruits  of  his  own  cornfield  and  orchard  into 
pure,  colourless  whisky  and  applejack,  and 
even  sell  a  little  of  it  if  he  chose ;  and  his 
motive  in  accompanying  the  revenue  col- 
lector w^as  no  more  nor  less  than  to  make  a 
show  of  doing  what  he  considered  his  duty. 
He  had  grown  angry,  and  called  for  an  axe 
to  beat  down  the  door,  because  he  felt 
that  his  authority  should  have  been  more 
promptly  recognized. 

"  I  happen  to  know  the  man  who  wrote 
this  letter,"  said  Darnell,  again  glancing 
into  the  paper;  ''in  fact,  he  considers  him- 
self a  friend  of  mine.  I  know  that  he  spent 
a  few  days  here  last  summer.  He  talked 
to  me  a  great  deal  about  his  stay  here,  but 
said  not  a  word  about  moonshine  whisky. 
I  know  something  of  his  habits  as  a 
journalist  —  I  have  found  him  inaccurate 
before  —  and  I  give  you  my  word,  gentlemen, 
that  the  whole  thing  is  a  pure  invention  —  a 
newspaper  yarn.^' 


1 1 6         Corona  of  the  Na?itakaias. 

*^Do    you  mean  he  had    a   grudge " 

began  the  sheriJB^. 

'*0h,  no.  He  didn't  do  it  maliciously. 
If  he  had  supposed  the  result  would  be 
anything  like  this,  I  am  sure  he  wouldn't 
haye  done  it.  He  merely  wanted  to  write 
a  sensational  and  readable  letter,  and  doubt- 
less assured  himself  that  no  reader  of  the 
*  Chronicle '  would  have  the  remotest  idea 
wlicre  Lonely  Cove  was.  Write  to  this 
Summerfit'ld  in  care  of  this  paper,  and  he 
will  confirm  what  I  tell  you.^' 

Corona  now  appeared  on  the  porch, 
having  conferred  with  her  uncle,  and  opened 
the  house,  as  she  had  been  advised  to  do. 
Darnell  invited  the  men  to  enter,  and  talk 
the  matter  over  with  McLeod,  which  they 
did,  the  sheriff  being  moved  to  apologize 
for  his  violence.  As  a  matter  of  course,  the 
suspected  man  swore  that  he  was  innocent, 
and  bade  his  accusers  search  the  premises. 
The  afternoon  was  spent  in  doing  this.  The 
house,  the  barn,  the  neighbouring  woods, 
including  Darnell's  tent  and  Calypso's  cave, 
were  carefully  searched,  without  the  dis- 
covery of  a  single  trace  of  ''mountain  dew," 
or  the  machinery  of  its  manufacture.  Darnell 
followed   them   over  every  foot  of  ground. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahatas,         1 1  / 

and  toward  sundown  returned  with  them 
to  the  farm-house.  The  revenue  collector 
was  greatly  annoyed  and  disgusted,  and 
swore  roundly  at  the  writer  of  the  misleading 
article. 

"  Either  that  man  was  a  blamed  liar,  or 
there  is  a  still  up  here  somewhere.  We'll 
keep  on  the  look-out,  I  promise  you/'  he 
said  to  Darnell,  who  disdained  to  reply. 

Gideon  McLeod  sent  his  timid  wife  out 
to  ask  the  party  to  wait  for  supper  before 
starting  on  their  fifteen  mile  ride,  but  they 
had  the  grace  to  refuse  this  invitation. 

'*!  wish  you'd  give  me  that  newspaper," 
said  Darnell,  as  the  revenue  ofiBcer  was 
mounting  his  horse. 

"  What  do  you  want  with  it  ?" 

"  I  want  it,"  said  the  young  man  simply, 
a  rising  flush  on  his  face. 

"What  good  would  that  do?" — sus- 
piciously. *^I  could  send  for  another  easy 
enough." 

*'  Certainly  you  could.  I  had  no  such 
object  in  asking  for  it ;  my  object  is  a 
private  one.  I  will  engage  to  return  the 
paper  promptly,  if  you  will  give  me  your 
address." 

A  few  minutes  later  the  party  rode  away, 


1 1 8         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

leaving  their  copy  of  the  mischief-making 
newspaper  behind.  Darnell  folded  it  care- 
fully and  put  it  in  his  pocket,  then  called 
out  to  Corona: 

^^  Tell  your  uncle  not  to  be  uneasy.  They 
won't  come  back."  And  then,  instead  of 
going  to  listen  to  their  thanks,  as  the  girl 
was  hoping  he  would  do,  he  *bade  her  good 
nightj  and  took  the  path  leading  to  his 
solitary  camp. 

After  this  Corona  hesitated  no  longer. 
Go  to  him  she  must  and  would,  and  thank 
him  for  his  friendly  help  in  a  time  of  great 
need.  The  following  afternoon  she  took 
Dan  with  her  and  walked  to  the  camp. 
They  found  the  botanist  lying  in  his  ham- 
mock reading,  his  work  for  the  day  evidently 
being  done.  Near  him  on  the  ground  lay 
an  unfolded  newspaper,  and  on  a  box  within 
reach  of  his  hand  several  books.  He  was 
so  absorbed  in  what  he  read  that  he  did 
not  observe  their  approach.  Not  until 
Corona  stooped  to  pick  up  the  newspaper 
did  he  see  them  and  start  up  with  a  glad 
look  of  welcome. 

^'It  brings  back  the  old  days  to  see  you 
here  again,"  he  said. 

*'  Those  days  are  hardly  '  old,'  are  they  ?  " 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         119 

she  answered.  '''It  is  less  than  a  week  since 
I  was  here." 

*' It  seems  a  twelvemonth." 

Dan  threw  himself  on  the  ground  and 
began  absorbing  them  with  his  eyes,  as 
usual.  Darnell  invited  Corona  to  sit  in 
the  hammock,  and  clearing  tlie  box  of  its 
weight  of  books,  moved  it  away  a  little  and 
seated  himself  thereon.  The  girl  remarked 
that  he  had  seemed  deeply  interested  in  his 
book,  and  suggested  that  he  should  go  on 
with  it  a  little  longer  while  she  examined 
the  newspaper ;  she  had  seen  but  few  during 
her  life,  and  these  were  all  old. 

The  proposal  was  agreed  to,  but  although 
he  reopened  his  book,  Darnell  did  not  read 
a  line.  His  attention  was  riveted  on  the 
girl.  He  marked  that  she  glanced  aimlessly 
at  the  headings  in  the  paper  for  a  few 
moments,  then  suddenly  an  intent  look 
crept  into  her  eyes,  and  her  glance  wandered 
no  more.  A  flush  overspread  her  face  as 
she  read,  and  her  breath  quickened.  The 
minutes  passed  ;  her  glance  gradually  trav- 
elled down  to  the  bottom  of  the  sheet, 
then  leaped  to  the  top,  and  continued 
steadily  down  to  the  middle,  where  the 
article  was  apparently  signed  and  came  to 


120        Corona  of  the  Nantahatas. 

an  end,  for  her  eye  descended  no  further. 
As  she  came  to  the  stopping  place  and 
paused,  the  observer  marked  that  her  height- 
ened colour  gave  place  slowly  to  a  deadly 
paleness,  and  tiiat  her  eyes  were  full  of 
quickening  fire.  The  paper  dropped  to  her 
lap  and  she  looked  up. 

^^  Have  you  read  this  article,  this  'On  the 
Track  of  the  Moonshiners  '  ?  '^  she  asked,  in 
a  voice  so  unlike  her  own  that  he  was 
startled. 

•'Yes,  I  have  read  it." 

*'  Where  did  you  get  the  paper  ? '' 

'*  That  revenue  man  gave  it  to  me  yester- 
day/' 

"  And  it  was  this  that  brought  them  here, 
that  made  them  suspect  my  uncle  ?  "  She 
stood  erect  as  she  asked  the  question,  the 
expression  of  her  face  showing  that  the 
inquiry  was  needless. 

"Yes." 

"  It  is  so  difficult  to  believe  —  that  he 
wrote  this.  How  can  it  be  true  ?  '^  she 
asked,  with  a  sound  in  her  throat  resembling  a 
sob.  For  one  moment  she  looked  stupefied 
—  crashed. 

''It  is  certainly  true,''' said  Darnell,  look- 
ing into  his  book. 


Corona  of  the  Nayitahalas,        \1\ 

''And  it  was  such  a  man  as  this  that  I 
hare  loved  !  "  It  was  a  cry  of  incredulity 
—  of  angry  realization — of  sore  pain.  Her 
spirit  was  not  broken. 

Darnell  threw  down  the  book  and  looked 
into  the  forest  with  flashins;  eyes.  What 
could  he  say  to  her  ?  Could  he  be  expected 
to  defend  such  a  man  as  Sumnierfield,  and 
when  that  man  was  his  rival  ?  It  would  be 
ranting  hypocrisy,  cant,  lying.  He  said 
nothing. 

'*Hesiod  declared  that  there  had  been  a 
golden  age,  a  silver,  a  brazen,  and  finally  in 
his  own  day  the  age  of  iron,"  said  Corona, 
reseating  herself  and  looking  absently  before 
her.  *'  Tills,  must  be  the  age  of  a  baser  metal 
still  —  the  age  of  clay,  of  mud,  of  mire  !" 

"  I  must  say  to  you,  as  I  said  to  those 
men  yesterday,"  spoke  up  Darnell,  ''that 
Summerfield  did  not  do  it  maliciously,  and 
doubtless  believed  no  harm  could  come  of 
it."  He  went  on  to  repeat  what  he  had  said 
the  day  before  as  regarded  the  journalist's 
motives. 

'''It  is  just  as  much  a  lie,"  said  Corona, 
silmost  fiercely. 

"Many  would  not  consider  it  so  —  would 
see  something  of  palliation." 


122         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

Her  expression  showed  liim  that  she  was 
unalterably  fixed  in  her  opinion.  She  rose 
and  moved  toward  him  with  outstretched 
hands. 

**  You  told  me  once  that  I  knew  too  little 
about  this  modern  world,  and  you  were 
right/'  she  said.  *^I  know  too  little  how  a 
sincere  and  beautiful  face  can  be  made  the 
mask  of  a  wicked  heart.  Teach  me  —  teach 
me  to  see  behind  the  mask." 

He  took  her  hand,  lifted  it  and  gently 
kissed  it.     But  she  promptly  drew  it  away. 

*^0h,  no,  not  that,"  see  pleaded.  '*I 
cannot  love  again.  You  are  my  dear  friend, 
my  brother ;  but  I  can  love  no  more  in 
that  way." 

'*It  is  something  gained  to  know  that 
you  no  longer  love  another,"  he  answered 
hopefully. 

The  next  day  Corona  burned  the  little 
book  in  which  she  had  written  so  often 
while  thinking  of  Summerfield.  She  slowly 
tore  out  leaf  after  leaf  and  committed  it  to 
the  flames,  wdth  never  one  thought  of  a 
possible  literary  value  which  the  work 
might  possess,  or  a  regret  of  any  other 
nature.  She  wished  to  be  rid  of  all  re- 
minders—  to    start    afresh.     She    was    still 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  123 

ignorant  that  she  had  been  loving  a  mere 
phantom,  but  understood  at  least  that  she 
loved  no  longer. 

**  Thus  perish  the  memory  of  that  beau- 
tiful wicked  one,"  was  her  thought. 


XL 

Some  days  later^  when  yisiting  the  camp  in 
the  company  of  the  silent  Dan,  Corona  told 
Darnell  that  after  burning  her  little  book  she 
had  determined  to  write  no  more  sad 
thoughts,  and  to  have  done  with  vain 
imaginings.  She  had  wished,  while  think- 
ing no  more  of  Snmmerfield,  also  to  give 
over  her  past  follies,  to  dream  no  longer  of 
naiads  and  wood  nymphs,  to  cease  to  fancy 
the  hemlock,  the  spouse  of  the  pine,  the 
beech  of  the  oak,  the  birch  of  the  maple, 
and  to  imagine  never  again  that  the  dove 
cooed  sympathy,  or  that  the  crow  and  the 
hawk  mocked  her  in  her  pain. 

She  had  striven  to  have  done  with  all 
these  fancies,  and  to  turn  her  thoughts 
toward  the  realities  which  he  had  taught 
her,    but    she    had    not    wholly   succeeded. 

The   old    imaginations    had  not  entirely 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         125 

vanished  at  her  bidding;  and  one  morning 
a  tale  had  taken  form  in  her  mind,  and 
grew  and  grew,  and  she  had  thought  upon 
it  until  it  was  pain.  She  had  tried  to  for- 
get it  but  could  not,  and  so  she  had  come 
to  him  to  ask  advice. 

^^  When  a  tune  persists  in  haunting  me," 
Darnell  told  her,  '^my  remedy  is  to  ultimate 
it  by  singing  or  whistling  it,  and  then  it 
drops  out  of  sight  and  leaves  me  in  peace. 
Suppose  yon  do  that.  Tell  me  your  tale, 
and  it  will  then  doubtless  fade  away  from 
your  mind  and  trouble  you  no  longer."' 

Adopting  the  suggestion.  Corona  seated 
herself  on  a  stone  a  few  feet  from  him,  and, 
casting  her  eyes  down  the  long  leafy  vistas 
of  the  forest,  began  to  speak  in  soft  and 
low  but  measured  and  impressive  tones, 
her  manner  serene,  fearless,  free  from  every 
appearance  of  self-consciousness.  And  this 
was  the  tale  she  told: 

In  the  honse  of  Orcus,  the  Athenian 
archon,  there  was  that  day  a  happy  mar- 
riage. Philippa,  his  sisters  daughter,  had 
been  wooed  and  won  by  a  gallant  leader  of 
the  hoplites,  one  Telamon,  whose  suit  was 
pleasing  to  the  maid  as  well  as  to  her  kin- 


126         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

dred,  and  this  was  not  always  so  in  Athens. 
No  priest  stood  forth  to  bless  the  tie,  but 
wine  was  poured  out  before  the  altar  of 
Zeus  in  the  great  hall  of  the  andronitis,  or 
male  quarter,  and  before  the  never-for- 
gotten shrine  of  white-souled  Hestia  in  the 
privacy  of  the  female  quarter.  Votive 
offerings  had  also  been  made  to  Here, 
Artemis,  and  Aphrodite;  all  omens  had 
been  anxiously  observed;  and  lastly,  the 
bride  had  piously  bathed  in  water  from  the 
sacred  fountain  of  Kalirrhoe.  And  so,  after 
a  merry  dinner  in  the  house  of  Orcus,  Tela- 
mon  and  Philippa  were  man  and  wife. 

At  nightfall,  arrayed  in  beautiful  flower- 
adorned  robes,  the  veiled  bride  was  assisted 
to  a  chariot,  and,  preceded  by  slaves  with 
flashing  torches  and  followed  by  a  gay  train 
of  friends,  drove  with  her  husband  through 
the  streets  of  Athens,  listening  meanwhile 
to  the  joyful  notes  of  the  marriage-song 
and  the  cheerful  piping  of  the  flutes.  This 
till  the  house  of  Telamon  was  reached,  when 
the  procession  lost  itself,  all  the  kindred  and 
invited  guests  being  led  within  and  given 
couches  around  the  bauqueting-board. 

The  greatness  of  the  occasion  permitted 
also  the  women  to  be  present  at  the  feast, 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         127 

but  only  at  a  separate  table  where  the  bride 
still  wore  her  veil  and  ate  her  food  in  dis- 
creet and  modest  silence,  her  example  fol- 
lowed by  all  her  friends.  Nor  was  there 
much  speech  at  the  table  of  the  men  until 
the  solids  were  removed  and  the  dessert  was 
brought  in,  preceded  by  a  golden  vessel  of 
wine  from  which  was  poured  out  a  liberal 
libation.  But  after  the  finger-bowls  of 
scented  water  were  handed  round,  and  gar- 
lands of  myrtle  and  roses  were  distributed, 
the  symposium  —  the  ^' feast  of  reason  and 
flow  of  soul " — began. 

The  women  now  retired  to  the  gynae- 
conitis,  or  female  quarter,  where,  after  con- 
gratulations were  spoken,  the  guests  were 
left  with  others  of  the  household,  and  the 
bride,  together  with  her  mother,  withdrew. 
The  retired  apartment  which  they  sought 
was  small  but  richly  furnished.  Elaborate 
frescoes  on  the  walls  showed  the  Graces,  the 
god  Dionysos,  and  the  harvesting  of  the 
grapes.  Soft  purple  rugs  were  scattered  on 
the  marble  floor,  the  centre  of  which  was 
marked  with  a  delicate  star-shaped  mosaic. 
The  curiously-carved  chairs  and  couch  were 
inlaid  with  ivory  and  gold,  and  over  the 
latter  a  scented  coverlet  of  knitted  peacock- 


128         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

plumes  were  spread.  But  the  glory  of  the 
room  was  a  statue  of  the  goddess  Aphro- 
dite, wrought  hy  Phidias  a  hundred  years 
before  that  day. 

Upon  a  long,  low-cushioned  seat  against 
the  farther  wall,  the  two  women  silently 
seated  themselves.  The  elder,  the  widowed 
Ariana  —  she  whose  solemn  duty  it  was  to 
light  the  nuptial  torch  —  was  now  gray- 
haired  and  marked  with  age  ;  but  the  early 
beauty  of  her  face  had  not  all  faded,  and 
there  was  a  noble  patience  in  her  manner 
which  told  of  sorrows  long  subdued  but  not 
forgotten. 

"Here  will  we  talk,  my  daughter,"  she 
began,  with  soft  solemnity.  **I  need  not 
tell  thee  to  be  good  and  true,  and  ever  love 
thy  husband  ;  for  all  this  thou  hast  heard 
full  often,  as  together  we  spun  the  wool  in 
the  days  sinoe  thy  betrothal.  Instead  of 
added  counsel,  let  me  now  speak  of  what 
befell  at  Delphi  long  ago.  For  thou  wilt 
surely  hear  it  now  from  thy  good  husband, 
and  I  would  have  thee  know  the  tale,  not  as 
men  may  please  to  tell  it,  but  as  it  is  written 
on  my  heart. 

''  Know  then,  Philippa,  that  in  my  youth 
I  was    less   merry  and  content  than   thou. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         129 

A  thoughtful,  dreaming  child,  I  early  was 
endowed  with  ardent  faith  in  the  invisible 
world,  learning  before  my  time  all  that  was 
taught  of  the  immortal  gods  and  all  the 
histories  of  demi-gods  and  heroes.  For 
always,  when  the  bards  or  the  rhapsodes 
came  and  sat  in  the  court  of  the  andronitis 
and  struck  their  harps,  I  begged  to  go  out 
and  listen,  and  so  heard  many  and  long 
recitals  from  the  sacred  books  of  Hesiod 
and  Homer,  telling  the  grand  story  of  the 
days  when  gods  and  heroes  walked  upon  the 
highways  of  our  world. 

^^From  a  very  child,  I  nursed  the  hope 
that  one  day  I  might  see  a  god,  although  I 
heard  it  out  of  Hesiod  that  the  golden  age 
was  long  gone  by,  and  that  men  were  now 
too  wicked  to  be  thus  blessed.  But  might 
it  not  yet  be  in  the  hearts  of  the  glorious 
gods  to  manifest  themselves  at  times  to 
chosen  men  ?  And  if  I  did  no  evil,  and 
worshipped  with  a  pure  and  reverent  heart, 
might  I  not  be  chosen  ?  Assuredly  the  fell 
spirits  of  evil  whispered  this  proud  thought 
to  me,  for  I  did  often  strive  to  shun  it  as  a 
grevious  sin;  but  always  it  came  back  and 
followed  me  through  the  days  and  years. 
Sometimes  I  ceased  to  strive,  and  lost  myself 


1 30         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

in  raj^turous  contemplation  of  such  a  holy 
destiny;  and  so  it  was,  that,  in  every  grove 
or  solitary  place  which  I  might  chance  to 
visit,  my  fancy  ever  ran  before  me  aod  rev- 
elled in  the  glorious  presence  of  a  god. 

^'Thus  dreaming  on,  I  grew  up  tall  and 
handsome;  and  one  day,  Tcucer  made  pro- 
posals to  my  father  for  my  hand.  Teucer 
was  a  man  in  whom  my  father  was  well 
pleased;  but  I  had  long  abhorred  him  as 
one  of  those  rich  and  lazy  Athenians  who 
refused  to  go  out  to  battle  when  Epami- 
nondas,  the  noble  Tlieban,  was  humbling 
haughty  Laceda^mon,  our  ancient  cruel 
enemy.  All  this  was  3'ears  agone,  but  I 
had  not  fore'otten.  Mv  mind  and  heart 
alike  rebelled  against  this  Teucer,  but  my 
father  Avould  not  barken  to  my  prayers. 
No  mother  was  there  to  pity  me,  and  those 
were  sad  days,  0  my  Philippa.  I  grew  at 
last  to  be  a  very  shadow  of  my  former  self, 
from  grief,  so  that  they  feared  for  me  and 
hastened  to  make  the  accustomed  offerings 
to  Esculapius.  And  then  they  ceased  to 
speak  of  Teucer  for  the  time,  and  I  came 
slowly  back  to  health. 

''When  almost  well  again,  my  father  took 
mo   with   my  brothers  to  Delphi  —  thej  to 


Corona  of  the  Nantahatas.         131 

join  in  the  celebnition  of  the  Pjthiaa 
festival,  and  I  to  be  with  them,  looking  to 
their  comfort,  as  they  tarried  there.  Tiie 
house  in  which  we  lodged  at  Delphi  was 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  close  on  the 
borders  of  the  forest  which  leads  up  from 
the  shining  Gulf  of  Corinth  to  the  green- 
clothed  heights  of  Mount  Parnassus,  whereon 
the  Muses  dwell.  One  day  —  my  kinsmen 
being  gone  —  I  stole  out  alone  and  lost 
myself  among  the  pines  and  laurels,  the 
olives  and  the  myrtles,  of  this  great  wood. 
It  was  the  full  noon  of  summer,  and  the 
blessed  Graces  had  clothed  the  world  all  in 
a  glory  of  colour,  perfume,  and  brightness. 
Up  from  the  sea,  ^'Eolus  blew  a  sweet  and 
gentle  breath;  and,  as  I  walked,  I  heard 
the  spirits  of  the  air  whispering  softly 
among  the  quivering  leaves.  Here  was  the 
place:  oh  that  I  might  now  see  a  god! 

**  Suddenly  a  cuckoo  fluttered  swiftly  by 
me,  and  my  startled  eyes  alighted  on  a 
peacock,  all  with  gorgeous  plumes  out- 
spread. My  heart  leaped  in  my  breast. 
These  were  her  birds:  could  she  be  coming? 
Oould  Here,  beautiful-browed,  ox-eyed 
Here,  Queen  of  heaven,  be  pleased  to  walk 
abroad    in    this    great    w^ood?      I    fell,    all 


1 32         Corona  of  the  NantaJialas, 

trembling,   on  my  knees,  and  lifted  up  my 
heart  to  her  in  prayer. 

"  I  waited  long,  yearning  and  hearkening, 
while  all  was  deathly  still,  save  for  the 
spirit-whisperings  among  the  trembling 
leaves;  but  she  came  not.  I  rose  up  sadly 
and  wandered  on;  and  when  a  hind  ran 
past  me  from  the  bush,  the  thought  that  it 
might  herald  the  approach  of  beloved 
Artemis  shook  me  again  with  hopes  and 
fears.  But  no  goddess'  presence  blessed 
the  wood:  I  was  unworthy.  That  well  I 
knew;  and  as  I  still  moved  forward,  tears 
came  to  ease  my  grieving  heart.  I  plucked 
some  flowers,  and  took  fresh  hope  ere  long. 
Might  not  I  see  a  dryad  or  a  river-god,  or 
at  the  least  a  water-nymph?  But  all  along 
the  shore  of  a  deep  round  pool  I  stole, 
with  bated  breath  and  stealthy  foot,  in  vain. 

"  At  last,  despondent,  I  rested  in  a  smooth 
green-swarded  glade,  and  made  a  crown  of 
red  oleander  for  my  long,  dark  hair.  Tlie 
tireless  whispering  in  the  leafy  heights  was 
mingled  here  with  the  sleopy  drone  of 
golden  bees  and  the  far-off  piping  of  strange 
wild  birds.  My  senses  revelled  in  such 
gentle  uproar,  and  I  tarried  long.  So  came 
it  that  the  shadows  of  the  tall  tree- trunks 


Corona  of  the  Na7itahalas.  133 

fell  all  nth  wart  tlie  glade  when  at  last  I 
started  up  from  my  forgetfulness,  with  in- 
tent quickly  to  return  to  Delphi.  But  ere 
I  took  a  step,  the  sound,  of  fast-approachiug 
feet  fell  on  my  ear;  and  as  my  eyes  swept 
hastily  over  the  encompassing  spaces,  lo,  I 
beheld  a  youth  who  looked  and  walked  a 
very  god. 

^^In  his  right  hand  he  swung  a  long 
bright  javelin  ;  and  at  his  heels  there  fol- 
lowed close  a  pearl-white  goat.  Except 
for  the  laurel  fillet  round  his  head,  he  wore 
naught  save  a  leopard's  skin  about  his 
loins;  but,  my  Philippa,  not  one  of  Phidias' 
beauteous  statues  was  ever  so  endowed 
with  grace  of  shape  and  poise.  To  me,  the 
dark  clustering  locks  about  his  brow  were 
far  more  comely  than  a  young  king's  crown. 
In  tremulous  wondering  joy  I  waited,  as 
with  heavy  step  he  came  toward  me  down 
the  glade,  the  light  twigs  and  leaves  spray- 
ing and  scattering  before  his  sandaled  feet. 
At  last  I  had  my  wish  :  this  —  this  must 
be  a  god  ! 

*'  He  saw  me  and  halted,  looking  at  first 
amazed,  then  smiling  brightly  ;  and  as  he 
smiled,  I  thought  of  the  liquid  sun  which 
pours  through  breaking  clouds. 


1 34         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

**  With  great  respect,  he  asked  me  who  I 
was  and  whence  I  came,  and,  trembling,  I 
made  answer: 

**  '  I  am  Ariana,  a  maid  of  Athens,  who 
long  hath  hoped  and  prayed  to  see  a 
god.' 

"  'And  hast  thou  seen  one?'  asked  he, 
with  freshening  smiles. 

"  '  Never  till  now  —  if  now  I  have.  I  did 
suspect  thou  wert  no  common  man  of 
earth. ' 

'^  A  look  of  laughing  wonder  danced 
within  his  eyes;  I  marvelled  that  he  should 
seem  so  amazed  and  yet  so  merry.  '  Thou 
hast  truly  guessed,'  quoth  he  at  last,  the 
voice  of  laughter  in  his  words.  '  I  am  im- 
mortal ;  and  down  from  high  Olympus 
have  I  wandered  in  this  shepherd's  guise, 
to  view  the  affairs  of  men.' 

"  Lo,  it  was  even  as  T  thought.  My 
knees  quaked  under  me  ;  I  bowed  before 
him  to  the  ground,  lifting  my  eyes  in  adora- 
tion. I  saw  a  swift  shadow  fall  athwart  his 
face  —  a  look  almost  of  fear  —  as  he  stooped 
in  haste  to  raise  me  up. 

"  '  Thou  shalt  not  kneel  to  me,  fair  maid,' 
quoth  he,  with  returning  smiles  ;  '  for,  by 
right  of  beauty,  thou   art   thyself  almost  a 


Corona  of  the  Nafitahalas.  135 

goddess.  Yea,  I  did  take  thee  for  the  very 
queen  of  dryads  in  tins  wood/ 

"With  hearing  such  sweet  words  of 
praise,  I  presently  grew  more  bold,  and 
asked  of  him ;  *  Art  thou  not  the  god 
Apollo?'" 

"  Lightly  laughing,  he  answered  me  :  *  I 
will  not  tell  thee  now  by  what  name  they 
call  me  on  Olympus.  Let  it  suffice  thee 
that  I  am  immortal.' 

"  And  then  he  took  my  willing  hand,  and 
thus  we  went  down  though  the  wood  to- 
ward the  sea,  the  frisking  pearl-white  goat 
behind  us.  Ah,  my  Phi  lip  pa,  the  gates  of 
heaven  seemed  open  to  my  view ;  the 
world  was  all  a  glorious  happiness.  The 
whole  forest  sung  for  us  as  we  passed. 
From  the  tall  tops  of  the  oaks  and  pines,  a 
long,  sweet  welcoming  whisper  reached  us ; 
and  from  the  vine-twined  thickets  of  the 
bending  myrtles,  there  seemed  to  come  the 
voices  of  dryads  in  mingled  chorus,  faintly 
swelling  and  falling.  "The  very  crocus 
seemed  to  scatter  its  scarlet  blossoms  in 
homage  as  it  brake  before  our  feet. 

"What  said  we  to  each  other  ?  I  asked 
him  timid  questions  about  Olympus  and 
the    under-world,    and   he — still   with   his 


136         Corona  of  the  Nantahata$. 

sportive  smile  —  made  answer  that  our 
sacred  poets  had  told  us  all  that  it  was  meet 
for  men  to  know.  Then  he  recited  from 
Hesiod  and  from  Homer,  like  the  bards, 
but  far  more  beautifully,  although  he  had 
no  harp.  Never  before  did  the  great  poets 
speak  such  grand  things  to  my  ear. 

"  The  sandy  verge  of  the  Corinthian  sea 
was  reached  in  time  to  view  departed 
Helios'  after-glow  upon  the  mountains  and 
mark  the  slow  gathering  of  the  dusky 
spirits  of  night.  Here  we  sat  down  to  eat 
the  clusters  of  the  early  grape,  which  we 
had  gathered  along  our  path.  It  was  then 
I  asked  him  what  was  that  ambrosia  which 
the  gods  were  said  to  eat,  and,  with  his 
sunshine  smile,  he  repeated  the  poet's 
words,  naming  it  as  the  food  which  gives 
immortal  life. 

*'^ '  Oh  that  I,  too,  might  taste  that  food  ! ' 

"Without  answer  to  my  foolish  words,  he 
looked  suddenly  toward  the  sea  and  cried  : 
'  Behold  the  chariot  of  Artemis  ! ' 

*'I  turned  and  saw  one  half  of  the  beau- 
tiful golden  orb,  as  if  afloat  upon  the  far 
dark  water,  and  then  I  knelt  and  said  the 
accustomed  prayer  to  the  glorious  goddess 
who   rides  in   the  changeful  moon.     As  we 


Corona  of  the  Nantahatas.         I'^J 

watched  her  mount  higher  and  higher  up 
the  sky,  I  asked  yet  another  question  ;  for 
he  seemed  so  full  of  sport  and  gentleness 
that  I  ever  felt  more  bold  : 

"  *My  lord  Apollo,  what  do  the  gods  when 
among  themselves  and  not  concerned  with 
the  affairs  of  men  ? ' 

''At  first  he  laughed  outright,  then  turned 
on  me  his  eyes,  which  seemed  to  falter 
betwixt  mad  merriment  and  concern.  '  Let 
me  warn  thee,'  quoth  he,  in  mild  rebuke, 
'that  pitfalls  lie  in  wait  along  the  path  of 
the  over-curious.  Yet  will  I  show  thee  what 
the  gods  sometimes  are  pleased  to  do.' 

"  Then  up  he  rose,  and  among  the  rocks 
behind  us  found  a  round  flat  stone  much 
like  the  discus  ;  and,  as  the  time  Avore  on, 
he  showed  me  many  marvellous  fea(s  of  disc- 
throwing,  leaping,  and  casting  the  javelin. 
I  sat  there  on  the  sand  and  watched  him 
with  delight,  as  his  long  lithe  form  moved 
back  and  forth  between  me  and  the  dusky 
arching  sky,  where  Artemis'  beauteous  moon, 
already  become  small  and  pale,  climbed  on 
its  upward  track  through  scattered  bits  of 
cloud. 


XII. 

Weary  of  this  sport  anon,  lie  sat  him 
down  and  sang  for  me,  as  never  bard  in 
Athens  sang,  a  love-song  of  beantiful-tongued 
Sappho's.  Listening  absorbed,  I  marked  not 
that  the  light  was  fading  fast,  until  I 
chanced  to  look  on  high  and  beheld  a  dim- 
ness in  the  moon.  The  orb  now  wore  a 
strange  and  gibbous  look  and  seemed  slowly 
to  withdraw  behind  a  black  and  hideous 
cloak.  Already  full  one  half  its  shinning 
surface  had  been  thus  obscured. 

*^^0h,  look,  my  lord  !'  I  ciied.  MYhat 
means  it  ?  Is  she  angry  ?  Is  great  Artemis, 
thy  twin  sister ' 

"He  waited  not  to  hear  me;  without  a 
word,  he  turned  from  me  and  went  down 
toward  the  darkening  water.  And  as  I  fell 
upon  my  knees,  I  saw  him  likewise  bow 
himself  and  lift  his  hands  to  heaven. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas,  139 

"<  Beloved  Artemis,  gentle  goddess/  I 
prayed  in  fear,  '  why  art  thou  angry  ?  0 
thou  huntress,  thou  friend  of  water-uymphs, 
thou  careful  guardian  of  all  pure-hearted 
maidens,  what  have  I  done  to  thy  dis- 
pleasure ? '  I  hid  my  face  in  darkness  on 
the  ground  and  further  prayed;  but  when 
I  looked  again,  the  goddess'  chariot  was 
but  a  silver  crescent  against  the  devouring 
darkness.  And  he  — out  there  before  me 
on  the  sand,  he  still  bowed  low.  In  abject 
fear,  I  crept  to  him. 

" '  My  lord,'  I  whispered,  whereat  he 
turned  and  looked  at  me,  his  face  all  dark 
and  mournful. 

''^'Twas  thou,' quoth  he,  "twas  thou  — 
not  I  ! ' 

'^  ^  My  lord,  what  have  I  done  ? ' 

''He  made  no  answer,  but  fiercely  seized 
my  hand  and  led  me  fast  along  the  shore. 
I  strove  in  vain  to  match  his  rapid  gait, 
and  anon  I  stumbled  and  almost  fell.  Bat 
never  did  I  murmur,  such  was  my  fear. 
Yet,  through  all  this,  I  wondered  why  he 
should  dread  his  sister's  wrath. 

"  Into  the  dreaming  woods,  we  came  at 
last,  and  fled  alono^  a  path  which  he  ap- 
peared to  know.     The  dusky,  sighing  trees 


140         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

hovered  high  about  us  as  if  on  spectral 
wings,  and  reeled  past  swiftly  in  noiseless 
crowding  troops.  Huge  spirits  of  the  earth, 
with  faint  uncertain  outHnes,  seemed  to  rise 
along  our  path  and  draw  back  whispering  as 
we  passed.  At  every  turn,  the  wood  was 
thick  with  nameless  shapes,  which  sprang 
up  hastily  from  their  beds  of  leaves,  to 
hearken  with  bent  heads  as  the  brittle  twigs 
snapped  harshly  beneath  our  feet. 

*^The  ground  began  to  rise  before  us, 
and  cruel  stones  to  bruise  our  feet,  until 
the  world  was  all  a  blackness  of  despair 
before  my  sight.  *  My  lord,  where  go  we  ? ' 
I  implored,  and  fell  all  breathless  against 
his  side.  And  then  in  silence  he  took  me 
up  and  held  me  close  and  tenderly,  and  so 
went  on.  Ere  long,  his  breast  was  heaving 
and  he  panted  like  a  hunted  stag,  but 
struggled  on  with  equal  pace  and  would  not 
set  me  down. 

^^  The  rest  was  like  a  dream.  At  last, 
high  up  on  the  mountain's  side,  we  gained 
a  level  ground,  and  there  I  saw  that  Artemis' 
beauteous  orb  was  now  a  dull-red  ghastly 
spot  upon  the  sky.  I  shut  it,  shuddering,- 
from  my  sight,  and  looked  no  more  to  the 
right  or  left   until  I  was  set  gently  down 


Corona  of  the  Naiitahalas.  141 

before  tlie  threshold  of  a  house.  Then  he 
that  carried  me  fell  full  length  on  the 
ground,  and  raised  his  weary  hands  to  beat 
upon  the  door.  The  sound  seemed  loud 
and  harsh,  and  went  off  echoing  on  the 
night  air  far  among  the  hills.  I  wondered 
why  should  he  —  a  god  —  be  weary;  and 
was  amazed  when  anon  a  woman  came  to 
let  us  in,  and  he  cried  to  her  frenziedly 
from  the  ground  : 

*'' Mother  —  mother,  take  her  in!  Take 
care  of  her,  mv  mother.' 

"The  woman  faltered,  but  said:  ^  Come 
in.''  As  one  walks  cloudily  in  a  dream,  I 
followed  her  and  left  him  panting  and  pros- 
trate there.  The  woman  led  me  straight- 
way to  a  spare  chamber  of  the  house,  gave 
me  milk  to  drink,  and  left  me  with  scarce 
a  word.  Like  one  stunned,  I  looked  about 
me  stupidly  for  a  time,  then  lay  down 
wearily  and  lost  myself  in  sleep. 

^'  That  night,  I  dreamed  that,  in  a  hollow 
of  the  hills  near  Delphi,  all  the  great  gods 
came  and  smiled  on  me.  Pallas  Athene 
and  Demetcr  dressed  me  in  a  robe  of 
knitted  oleanders  and  roses,  and  with 
ambrosia  anointed  my  head;  then,  beauti- 
ful   Aphrodite   having    sweetly    kissed    me 


142         Coro7ia  of  the  Nantahalas, 

and  clasped  her  starry  girdle  round  my 
waist,  they  led  me  —  as  they  said  —  to  meet 
Apollo  before  the  throne  of  Zens.  And 
wlien  we  came,  lo,  the  god  and  the  noble 
youth  of  the  leopard-skin  were  one  I  But, 
all  in  a  moment,  there  was  then  a  wondrous, 
frightful  change.  My  heart  grew  deathly 
sick  to  see  the  glorious  goddesses  trans- 
formed to  tittering  bold-eyed  Phokian 
maids,  and  Zeus  himself  to  a  chubby-fisted 
clown  of  Athens,  who  came  down  from  his 
throne,  laughing  a  loud,  coarse  laugh.  Only 
my  lord  Apollo  remained  the  same,  and, 
amid  the  loud  derisive  laughter  of  the  rest, 
he  but  smiled  tenderly  and  held  his  arms 
round  me. 

''  When  I  at  length  awoke,  rosy  fingered 
Eos  had  long  opened  wide  the  doors  of  day, 
and  Helios'  chariot  had  climbed  far  uj)  the 
sky.  I  rose  in  haste  and  looked  about  me 
fearfully.  What  if  he  had  gone!  The 
woman  heard  me  and  came  in.  She  bade 
the  gods  give  me  good  health,  and  placed 
goat's-milk,  figs,  and  barley  bread  on  a 
table  for  me  to  eat. 

**  ^  Where  is  —  he  who  brought  me  here  ?' 
I  asked  at  once,  and  through  the  window 
she  showed    me   where    he  stood,   not   far 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         143 

from  us,  on  the  green  brow  of  a  steep  in- 
cline looking  toward  Delphi.  Careless  of 
the  food,  I  hastened  out  and  found  my  way 
to  him. 

He  stood  so  still,  and  looked  with  such 
strange  earnestness  at  a  single  spot  of 
ground  before  him,  that  I  marvelled  and 
was  afraid.  Nevertheless,  I  went  close  up 
to  him. 

'*'My  lord,  why  tarry  we  in  this  poor 
hut?' 

**  Thereat  he  turned  on  me  a  deep  and 
mournful  glance.  '  I  am  not  thy  lord,' 
he  answered,  very  low.  '  I  lied  to  thee 
when  I  called  myself  a  god.  I  am  Philo- 
meu,  a  shepherd,  and  yonder  dame's  my 
mothea\' 

**The  world  recoiled — the  land  shrunk 
away  from  my  feet  —  suffocating  mists 
swam  round  before  my  eyes.  At  last  — 
at  last  I  could  see  him  and  could  speak: 

'^  '■  Thou  blasphemer! ' 

"  '  Ay,  so  am  I  —  the  gods  pardon  me.' 

^*  ^Thou  cunning  rustic  !     Thou—slave  I' 

"He  leaped  as  though  one  struck  him. 
*Thou  alone  mayest  dare  to  call  me  so,' 
cried  he,  in  vehement,  husky  tones.  '  I 
would  have  thee   know  that,  if  I  am  but 


144         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

a  shepherd  youtli,  I  have  the  hlood  of 
the  Heracleid  gens,  and  am  as  proud  as 
thou.' 

"^Thou  hast  done  honour  to  thy  noble 
gens/  I  answered  without  pity. 

'^ '  Let  me  go/  he  cried,  like  one  mad- 
dened. ^My  father  will  take  thee  safe  to 
Delphi.' 

''  *  Stay,  thou  lying  shepherd/  I  called,  as 
he  was  going.  ^Explain  to  me  how  is  it 
that  the  just  gods  still  let  thee  live.' 

"  I  could  not  stand  his  gaze.  I  faltered, 
recalling,  how  unwittingly  I  had  tempted 
him,  how  always  he  had  laughed  and 
seemed  but  to  sport.  My  anger  was  sud- 
denly burned  out  and  left  me  helpless. 
The  wide  world  was  a  desolation  before  my 
eyes.  I  fell  upon  the  grassy  earth  and 
wept ;  and,  as  I  wept,  I  knew  that  he  came 
close  to  me  and  tarried  there,  although  he 
made  no  sound.  At  last,  I  called  to  him 
from  where  I  lay ;  and  by-and-by  my 
questions  bade  him  speak.  And  so  he  told 
me  that  not  always  had  he  lived  a  shepherd 
boy  on  Mount  Parnassus. 

"  He  had  been  early  sent  to  friends  in 
Thebes,  there  becoming  excellent  in  all 
athletic  games   and  learning  to   repeat   the 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         145 

poets  by  heart ;  aud  so,  when  he  returned 
to  keep  his  father's  sheep,  he  pined  and 
pined.  He  knew  all  the  story  of  the  grand 
ancient  days, —  the  voyage  of  the  Argonauts, 
the  Kalydonian  boar-hunt,  the  Trojan  war  ; 
he  envied  and  wished  to  rival  Perseus  and 
Heracles,  Theseus  and  Meleager,  Jason  and 
Achilles ;  he  gloried  in  the  Greeks  who 
fought  at  Marathon  and  Thermopylae,  and 
exulted  in  the  story  of  Xenophon  and  the 
Ten  Thousand.  Oh,  that  he  too  might  go 
forth  to  battle  and  become  more  than  a 
peaceful  shepherd  !  But  Epaminondas  had 
long  ago  beaten  Spartans  at  Leuctra 
and  Mantinea,  and  Greece  was  sunk  and 
decaying  in  the  indolence  of  peace ;  he 
prayed  the  gods  for  war  in  vain.  Xothing 
was  left  but  the  four  great  festivals,  and  all 
of  these  he  visited  —  even  the  Olympian  in 
far  Elis.  He  could  have  stood  up  bravely 
before  any  man  in  Greece ;  but  only  the 
rich  and  great  may  enter  the  contests, 
in  these  davs.  So  he  came  back  from  the 
Olympian,  self-crowned  with  olive,  and 
followed  his  sheep  over  this  mountain 
again,  with  rage  in  his  heart.  Likewise,  after 
the  Isthmian,  he  crowned  himself  with  pine, 
and  after  the  Nemean  with  parsley,  only  to 


146         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

tear  up  the  wreaths  anon,  deriding  himself 
for  the  cheap  device,  while  jet  believing 
that  he  mio-ht  have  fairlv  won  them.  He 
was  fresh  from  the  Pythian  games  with 
another  cheap-gotten  fillet,  this  time  of 
laurel,  when  he  met  me  in  the  wood  and 
sinned  the  sin  of  blasphemy,  which  is  not 
forgiven. 

^^  His  sin  came  not  of  a  callous  heart 
onl3\  In  Athens,  he  heard  men  say  that 
there  were  no  gods — that  the  wise  pronounced 
them  fables  ;  and  he  knew  how  banished 
Pisistratus  had  regained  control  of  the  city 
by  leading  forth  a  tall,  handsome  maid  from 
a  village  in  Attica,  and  showing  her  to  the 
people  as  the  goddess  Athene.  So  he 
doubted,  asking  himself,  if  the  gods  lived 
and  were  greats  would  they  suffer  such 
blasphemy.  Then,  too  —  he  confessed  hum- 
bly  —  he  had  been  made  vain  by  a  sculptor 
in  Corinth;  Avho  said  the  great  Phidias  would 
have  given  a  pile  of  gold  to  procure  him  as 
a  model  for  the  Apollo. 

'*  *  It  all  returned  to  me,'  quoth  he,  'when 
I  met  thee  yesterday  and  heard  thy  inno- 
cent, trusting  speech  ;  and  so  I  lied  to  thee 
in  merry  jest,  repenting  only  when  great 
Artemis  showed  her  anger.      And  then,  as 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         147 

Delphi  was  far  away,  1  brought  thee  hastily 
to  my  father's  house.  And  now  I  go,  never 
more  to  afflict  thee  with  the  sight  of  me.  I 
go  over  the  mountain  to  Kirra,  to  procure 
an  ass  whereon  thou  mayest  ride  as  mv 
father  doth  lead  thee  back  to  Delphi.  But, 
ere  I  go,  let  me  tell  thee  that  thy  tears  have 
fallen  with  the  pain  of  showering  darts  upon 
my  naked  heart;  and,  though  I  go  from 
thee  accursed  of  the  gods,  thy  beauteous 
face  will  ever  go  with  me,  a  star  to  light  my 
forward  path.' 

**I  looked  not  up,  but  heard  his  moving 
feet.  So  he  was  gone  —  gone  from  me,  and 
the  world  was  left  a  gaping  void.  All  my 
heart  went  forth  to  follow  him  on  his  way; 
I  felt  that  I  should  die  if  he  were  lost.  I 
got  me  up  from  the  ground  in  haste  and 
searched  for  him  with  frantic  eyes,  calling 
aloud  his  name. 

''He  was  not  far;  he  came  to  me  on 
winged  feet.  He  caught  me  close  and 
kissed  me  on  the  mouth,  and  the  mountain 
seemed  to  swim  as  we  stood  lost  in  love's 
embrace. 


XIII. 

And  so  I  staid  and  was  his  wife.  He 
was  no  god  ;  he  was  but  a  Phokian  shepherd 
youth,  but  he  would  dwell  forever  in  my 
heart.  We  made  our  offerings  to  Zeus,  to 
Here,  and  to  Artemis ;  and  then  I  said  a 
prayer  to  Aphrodite,  and  it  was  done.  All 
i:i  secret  made  I  my  praye^'  and  in  such  wise  : 


"  *  O  Aphrodite,  queen  immortal 
Of  love's  blest  joys  in  heaven  begotten, 
Bend  down  to  me  from  thy  pure  ether; 
Incline  thine  ear  to  my  petition 
0  thou  most  lovely ! 

"  'Breathe  thou  on  him,  O  gentle  goddess- 
On  him  now  yoked  with  me  in  marriage ; 
Sow  in  his  heart  the  seeds  all  golden 
Of  love  most  true,  of  love  eternal, 
From  thee  outflowing. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahatas.         149 

"  '  O  thou  fair  child  of  Zeus  almighty, 
Heed  now  my  prayer  :  when  all  my  beauty 
With  length  of  years  hath  waned  and  wasted, 
Be  with  me  still  ;  do  not  forsake  me  — 
Oh,  I  implore  thee  ! 

"  'Blind  thou  his  eyes,  when  age  hath  claimed 
me; 

Send  down  thy  birds  of  plumage  dusky. 

Thy  precious  doves,  that  they  may  whisper 

Still  in  his  ear  and  quicken  ever 

Love's  holy  rapture. 

"  '  And  when  in  death  we  pass  the  borders 
Of  mortal  life,  do  thou  us  welcome; 
Do  thou  provide,  blest  Aphrodite, 
That  there  our  love,  with  youth  endowered, 
Shall  keep  for  ever ! 

"  '  For  this  dear  boon  my  soul  will  praise  thee — 
Praise  thee  with  gladness  —  day  and  evening; 
So  shall  I  walk  before  thee  ever. 
In  purity  of  thought  and  doing  — 
Thus  to  adore  thee.' 

**  Seven  times  the  God  Helois  climbed  up 
and  down  the  great  sky-dome  while  I  dwelt 
upon  Parnassus  with  Philomen,  my  husband; 
seven  times  he  rested  in  the  zenith  and 
sought  with  warm  and  piercing  gaze  his 
own  chosen   cattle,  sleek  and  beautiful  in 


150         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

their  pastures;  seven  times  the  happy  spirits 
of  light  awoke  from  sleep,  brightening  to 
the  glory  of  the  mid-noon  and  slowly 
waning  to  the  evening.     Then  came  the  end. 

'^^Philomen's  sin  weighed  on  our  hearts 
and  frighted  us  through  all  our  joy.  Then, 
too,  the  shadow  of  my  injured  father  haunted 
every  hour;  each  day,  I  felt  the  more  that 
filial  piety  had  been  shamed  by  me.  My 
love  and  I  confessed  our  thoughts  and  made 
agreement  to  go  to  Delphi  and  uncover  our 
hearts  before  the  god,  then  seek  my  father. 
So  in  the  early  day,  when  white  cloud-mists 
swam  low  between  the  piny  hills  of  the 
long,  deep  glens,  we  joined  our  hands  and 
followed  down  the  path  which  w^nt  to 
Delphi. 

''And  as  we  rested  at  the  mountain's 
foot,  lo,  all  at  once,  they  fell  upon  us  there 
—  my  father  and  my  brothers,  come  forth 
from  the  town  to  search  for  me  once  more. 
My  Philomen  rose  up  and  fought  them 
with  the  might  of  three  brave  men ;  but 
they  were  four  beside  the  slaves  and  bore 
him  down.  But  for  my  cries,  they  would 
have  slain  him  without  pity  ;  and  when  I 
showed  him  how  I  was  the  shepherd's  wife, 
my    father  burned    with   wrath    and    most 


Corona  of  the  Nantalialas.         1 5 1 

cruelly  reproached  me.  He  waited  but  to 
hear  the  tale,  then  hurried  us  on  toward  the 
temple  of  the  god. 

" '  The  sacred  oracle  shall  declare  his 
fate  ! '  they  cried. 

**'As  we  ascended  the  rocky  Pytho,  my 
soul  fell  deathly  sick  within  me  ;  well  I  kiipw 
how  it  would  end.  My  haughty  kinsmen 
would  not  brook  my  marriage  with  a  shep- 
herd, and  were  resolved  to  slay  him.  I  saw 
it  in  their  looks,  their  covert  speech,  in  their 
rich  gifts  of  gold  to  the  temple  priests  who 
came  forth  at  our  call. 

"When  these  had  heard  the  case  and 
retired  from  our  view,  Philomen  reverently 
knelt  him  down,  all  in  his  bonds,  and  thus 
he  waited  with  bowed  head  to  hear  his  fate. 
I  would  have  passed  the  guarding  slaves  and 
knelt  beside  him,  but  my  father  drove  me 
back  with  harsh  and  much  upbraiding  till  I 
drew  away  and  tempted  him  no  more.  So 
came  it  that  I  wandered  back  and  forth 
beneath  the  oaks,  with  lightness  in  my  head 
and  heaviness  in  my  feet,  my  eyes  afloat  in 
agonies  of  unshed  tears,  and  straining  all 
my  soul  to  pierce  the  darkness  of  the  com- 
ing hour.  At  last  I  came  upon  a  side  door  to 
the  temple,  and,  when  none  looked,  I  entered 


152         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

there  and  softly  stole  within  the  holy  place, 
in  mad  unconsci«)usness  of  what  I  did. 

"And  when  I  thus  drew  nigh,  lo,  all  the 
priests  were  upon  their  knees,  and  utter 
stillness  filled  the  place.  Enthroned  upon 
the  mystic  tripod,  the  Pythian  priestess 
looked  before  her  with  a  dull  straight  stare, 
and  there  was  that  about  her  pale,  unearthly 
face  and  swollen  eyes  which  made  me  to 
loathe  her  with  my  utmost  strength.  All 
hope  within  me  died;  full  well  I  knew  she 
would  speak  ill  for  Philomen.  As  thus 
I  looked  and  thought,  all  on  a  sudden  a 
wave-like  thrill  or  spasm  seized  the  priestess' 
form  and  seemed  to  shake  her  cruelly,  even 
to  her  inmost  seat  of  life.  As  suddenly  it 
was  gone,  leaving  her  white  and  still,  with 
hands  fast  clenched.  Then  slowly  she  made 
shift  to  speak  in  words  which  fell  like 
leaden  hail  upon  my  heart ;  lo,  thus  she 
spake : 

"  '  The  mountain  wolf,  that  from  his  hiding-place 

comes  forth 
To   make   a  lie,    to    build  with   crafty  words   a 

snare. 
To  breed,  in  supine,  halting  Hellas  light  concern 
For    majesty    enthroned     above —  on    him    the 

curse  ! 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas,         1 5  3 

The   sons  of   men  shall  rise  upon   him  in   their 

might ; 
The  tender  lamb,   by  him  deceived,    shall  mark 

his  fall; 
With  throe  on  throe,   his  slow-quenched  springs 

of  life  shall  cease ! 
Say    to    the    kings    of    men:     who    blasphemes 

gods — ' 

**So  miicli  I  heard,  and  then  the  world 
dissolved  in  darkness.  They  lifted  me  and 
bore  me  out  and  away,  all  when  I  knew  it 
not.  We  had  come  down  the  steep  incline 
and  gone  far  into  the  woods,  when  I  awoke 
to  life.  They  brought  me  there  that  I,  who 
was  the  lamb,  might  behold  the  wolf  in  the 
throes  of  death:  so  they  read  the  oracle. 
I  broke  from  those  supporting  me,  and 
stopped  them  as  they  raised  their  cruel 
swords.  A.  madness  seized  me,  and  I  stood 
forth,  fearless,  against  my  father  and  my 
brothers: 

" '  The  relentless  Erinnys  pursue  you 
now  and  for  ever,  if  ye  do  this  awful 
thing!' 

'^^Thou  art  mad,'  they  cried.  'We  but 
obey  the  sacred  oracle.' 

" '  The  word  of  the  oracle  is  dark  and 
hidden,  and  ye  but  bend  it  to  your  wicked 


I 


1 54         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

purjiose/  I  answered  them.  *If  ye  say  true, 
the  oracle  is  no  longer  the  Yoice  of  great 
Apollo,  but  a  lie.  The  gods  would  not 
condemn  a  shepherd  youth  who  sinned  in 
jest,  and  pardon  the  far  more  grave  offence 
of  a  mighty  man  of  Athens.  Philomen 
sinned  only  to  make  sport  of  a  foolish  maid 
who  loves  him  and  who  is  his  wife,  but 
Pisistratus  blasphemed  in  the  name  of  Pallas 
and  deceived  the  whole  Athenian  state! 
Which  one,  tell  me,  hath  done  the  sin  which 
may  not  be  forgiven?'  So  I  spake  on 
till  the  world  was  again  a  dark  and  form- 
less waste,  and  I  sunk  down  before  their 
foet. 

*^  My  Philippa,  they  did  not  slay  thy 
father.  Divine  Apollo  looked  with  pity  on 
my  woe  and  touched  their  cruel  hearts.  It 
was  my  good  brave  Orcus  who  spake  of 
mercy  first,  and  bent  my  father's  will. 

*^ '  If  we  slay  this  youth  to  whom  her  soul 
is  knit,'  quoth  he,  'we  slay  thy  daughter  too. 
Let  him  go  free,  my  father,  and  send  thy 
sons  to  slay  a  real  wolf — thus  to  obey  the 
oracle's  sacred  word.' 

"And  when  the  cloudy  sea  of  faintness 
rolled  back  from  over  me,  lo,  they  prepared 
to  loose  his  bonds. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         155 

''  '  Swear  never  more  to  approach  this 
maid,  and  thou  art  free,'  quoth  they,  in 
haste. 

''  But  he  disdained  the  price  and  opened 
not  his  mouth,  whereat  their  wrath  waxed 
hot  and  again  they  drew  their  swords.  But 
he  set  his  face  and  locked  his  lips,  and  would 
not  swear.  Then  fiercely  turned  my  father 
on  me  and  cried  :  *  Swear  by  the  throne  of 
Zeus  never  to  look  upon  this  youth  again, 
or,  by  the  gods,  the  fowls  shall  eat  his 
flesh  ! ' 

'^  0  my  daughter,  I  swore — to  save  his 
life,  I  swore.  And  then  they  loosed  him 
and  angrily  bade  him  go ;  but,  as  they 
swiftly  bore  me  away,  he  still  stood  proudly 
there. 

*' After  those  many,  many  days  of  va- 
cancy at  Athens,  I  remember  that  my 
father  and  brothers  were  pleased  to  show 
concern  for  me.  Tliey  took  me  to  see  the 
tragedies  of  ^Antigone'  and  *  The  Seven 
Chiefs  against  Thebes,'  desirous  thus  to 
divert  me  from  my  griefs.  My  brother 
Orcus  also  contrived  that  I  might  see  a 
comedy,  and  strove  hard  to  make  me 
merry.  But,  with  me,  the  springs  of  mirth 
were  all   dried   up;  only  after  I  heard  thy 


1 56         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

voice,  Philippa,  could  I  smile  for  my  good 
Orciis. 

"What  of  thy  father?  Once,  with  a 
band  of  mountain  men,  he  came  within 
ten  stadia  of  the  walls  of  Athens,  and  got 
me  word  through  slaves.  I  sent  thee  out 
that  he  might  kiss  and  bless  thee,  but  I 
would  not  look  upon  his  face.  I  remem- 
bered the  sacred  oath  which  had  saved  his 
life  and  broken  my  heart,  and  bade  him 
go  his  way.  That  was  the  end.  Ere  that 
Olympiad  drew  to  its  close,  he  fell  before 
the  Macedonians  at  (Jli^eronea,  and  all  the 
glory  of  Greece  died  with  him  there. 

*'  Men  have  wooed  me  since  those  days, 
but  all  in  vain.  For  me,  in  all  the  uni- 
verse, there  is  but  one — my  Philomen.  It 
is  as  if  I  had  no  life  apart  from  him ;  and 
well  do  I  believe  that,  when  I  wander  down 
to  the  under-world,  I  shall  be  joined  with 
him.  In  these  sad  days  of  callous  unbe- 
lieving men,  some  say  there  is  no  under- 
world— that  man  in  death  can  only  rot  and 
so  return  to  mother  earth ;  but  I  look  for- 
ward to  the  day  when  Death  shall  touch 
me  with  his  frozen  lips,  as  to  a  long-pre- 
vented voyage  to  a  wished-for  shore. 

*^  But  enough,  my   daughter.     The  sym- 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         157 

posium  is  ended;  I  hear  the  guests  as  they 
go  forth.  Let  me  now  lead  thee  to  thy 
husband." 

Darnell  sat  dumb,  staring  at  the  girl. 
Ions  after  the  music  of  her  low-toned  voice 
had  ceased.  She,  too,  sat  motionless,  an 
expression  of  relief  on  her  face. 

"  Did  it  weary  you  ? "  Corona  asked  at 
last. 

"It  fascinated  me,"  was  the  prompt 
answer.  "But  it  is  so  sad.  Why  did  you 
make  it  so?" 

"  Because  I  am  sad  and  could  not  make 
it  otherwise.  And  then,  according  to  his- 
tory, you  remember,  it  was  in  that  sad 
time  when  the  glory  of  Greece  was  fading, 
dying.  I  thought  of  a  woman  deceived," 
she  told  him  further,  "  because  I  have  been 
deceived.  But  I  was  moved  with  pity  for 
her,  and  made  it  possible  that  she  could 
still  love." 

"One  can  see  you  in  the  tale." 

"You  said  once  that  I  might  become  a 
poet,"  she  reminded  him  anon.  "Do  you 
think  what  the  Greek  girl  says  to  Aphrodite 
in  her  prayer  is  poetry?  " 

"  In  essence  surely,  if  not  in  form.    You 


158         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

may  acquire  the  form,"  Darnell  added  after 
a  moment. 

*'I  shall  not  try.  The  thoughts  that 
come  to  me  are  too  sad  and  give  me  too 
much  pain.  I  shall  leave  writing  to  Mm 
who  has  no  heart  and  will  not  feel  it.  I 
have  told  you  my  sad  tale  and  am  done/^ 
she  added  later.  *'  Teach  me  of  other 
things  —  teach  me  of  the  plants  you  love. 
I  write  no  more." 

"  Many  would  call  me  selfish,  but  I  am 
glad,"  was  Darnell's  smiling  answer.  '*'  I'd 
rather  see  you  a  woman  than  a  poet." 


XIV. 

Seated  on  the  porch,  Corona  and  Darnell 
talked  late  one  evening  a  few  days  later. 
Gideon  McLeod  sat  on  the  steps  most  of  the 
time,  smoking  his  pipe  and  taking  no  pai-t  in 
the  conversation.  The  night  was  beautiful. 
The  full  moon  rose  high  over  the  dark,  slum- 
bering mountains.  Helicon,  Parnassus,  and 
the  other  peaks  lifted  themselves  skyward  in 
dim,  uncertain,  yet  bulky  outlines.  A  gen- 
tle current  of  air  shook  the  foliage  on  the 
neighboring  trees,  and  the  occasional  chirp 
of  a  sleepless  bird  was  borne  to  the  listeners 
from  among  the  rustling  leaves. 
.  Darnell  had  been  saying  that  people  who 
dwelt  close  to  nature's  heart,  as  in  the 
lonely  places  of  the  mountains,  were  likely 
to  entertain  serious  thoughts  more  uninter- 
ruptedly than  the  people  of  the  cities  ;   to 


1 60         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

be  less  merry,  but  more  trustful  and  more 
really  contented ;  and  this  was  likely  to 
affect  the  expression  of  their  faces,  giving 
them  an  air  of  unusual  gravity. 

'^  But  vou,  who  are  from  the  cities,  have 
that  serious  look,  too/''  said  Corona.  ^^  I 
have  often  observed  that  you  were  so  differ- 
ent from  —  from  Henry." 

'^  Perhaps  I  have,  but  if  so  there  is  a 
reason  for  it.  It  is  doubtless  because  of 
the  unhappy  atmosphere  in  which  I  grew 
up." 

"  Will  you  not  tell  me  about  your  early 
life,  Edward  ?  "  she  asked  earnestly.  '^  Was 
it  so  unhappy  ?  " 

*'I  can  tell  you,  but  it  will  hardly  in- 
terest you."  He  made  an  effort  to  change 
the  subject,  but  she  brought  him  back  to 
it. 

"I  know  almost  nothing  about  my  own 
parents  beyond  the  fact  that  their  name 
was  Darnell,"  he  began  at  last.  '^  I  was 
left  a  destitute  orphan  at  the  age  of  six, 
and  was  adopted  by  a  remote  cousin  of 
my  mother's.  My  adopted  mother  was  the 
wife  of  a  man  named  Casimiro,  a  Cuban 
cigar  merchant  in  Charleston.  Carlos  Casi- 
miro, judging  from  all   I  have  since  heard 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         i6i 

of  him,  was  perhaps  over  punctilious  and 
particular  in  matters  of  honour,  but  he  was 
sober,  intelligent,  and  probity  itself.  He 
made  a  place  for  himself  even  in  a  strange 
citv,  and  in  the  course  of  time  he  married 
into  a  good  family,  as  such  things  go, 
although  neither  he  nor  his  wife,  Evelyn 
Merion,  could  be  called  wealthy.  It  may 
interest  you  to  know  that  you  have  often 
reminded  me  of  my  adopted  mother.  She 
did  not  have  your  dark  eyes  and  hair,  but 
she  had  your  expression,  your  manner,  and 
she  was  like  you  in  disposition. 

*'  It  was  a  case  of  love  on  both  sides,  and 
there  appeared  to  be  only  two  obstacles  in 
the  way  of  complete  happiness  for  the  Casi- 
miros.  One  was  the  fact  of  their  having 
no  children  —  that  is  why  I  was  adopted  ; 
the  other  was  the  presence  in  the  house  of 
a  third  person,  brother  of  the  wife.  My 
adopted  uncle,  Harry  Merion,  started  out 
well,  and  was  generally  supposed  to  be  a 
youth  of  bright  promise,  though  there  were 
afterwards  some  who  declared  that  they 
always  knew  there  was  a  screw  loose  some- 
where. His  father  and  mother  had  been 
first  cousins,  and  some  people  attributed 
the  trouble  to  that.     Whatever  the  cause, 


1 62         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

by  the  time  lie  was  eigliteen  his  mind  had 
gone  under  a  cloud,  and  after  that  he  was 
never  quite  right.  He  should  have  been 
sent  to  au  asylum  where  he  could  have 
been  treated  systematically,  and  perhaps 
cured.  Some  of  the  relatives  were  wise 
enough  to  urge  this,  seeing  that  he  had  to 
be  taken  out  of  school,  and  became  a  bur- 
den in  his  mother's  home  ;  but  no  step  to- 
ward such  an  arran  element  was  taken.  His 
mother  was  bitterly  opposed  to  it,  and 
willing  to  sacrifice  the  remainder  of  her 
familv  for  him.  When  slie  died,  his  sister 
Evelyn  assumed  the  cross,  and  would  listen 
to  no  proposals  looking  toward  a  separa- 
tion. She  finally  married  Casimiro  with 
the  understanding  that  her  afflicted  brother 
should  always  be  permitted  to  live  in  their 
home. 

''Harry  Merion  was  never  very  violent 
until  toward  the  last,  but  he  often  raved 
mildly  and  talked  irrationally  f(jr  hours 
without  a  moment's  pause.'  They  said  he 
would  talk,  of  everything,  from  the  Pope  to 
the  chickens  hanging  in  the  market.  He 
had  read  much  poetry,  and  usually  recited 
his  interminable  imaginings  in  a  sort  of 
singsong     rhythm.      I    can    remember    his 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         163 

roamiug  about  the  house  late  in  the  night, 
makiug  queer  noises.  He  early  showed  a 
deep  and  jealous  affection  for  his  sister,  and 
this  in  itself  was  sufficient  cause  for  their 
separation  after  her  marriage.  He  made 
trouble  between  husband  and  wife  more 
than  once,  but  Casimiro  was  not  alarmed, 
and  allowed  affairs  to  drift  on  from  bad  to 
worse. 

"  Two  years  after  my  adoption  a  child  was 
born  to  the  Casimiros,  a  girl,  whom  the  father 
named  Corona,  because,  as  he  said,  she  had 
crowned  his  life  with  happiness,^' 

''How  strange  —  my  name!"  murmured 
Corona,  deeply  interested,  and  Gideon 
McLeod  turned  his  head  as  though  he  had 
begun  to  listen. 

''That  is  another  reason  why  you  have 
reminded  me  of  my  adopted  mother,"  pur- 
sued Darnell.  "  I  have  often  wondered 
where  your  parents,  being  mountain  people, 
got  such  a  name.  When  the  baby  came, 
Harry  Merion  w^as  about  twenty  years  old. 
Not  long  after  that  it  was  observed  that  he 
grew  steadily  worse.  He  seemed  to  love 
the  child  more  than  its  mother,  but  there 
were  times  when  this  remarkable  affection 
disappeared  utterly,  and  they  became  afraid 


1 64         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

to  leave  bim  alone  with  it.  Meanwhile  his 
insane  dislike  of  Casimiro  increased  until  it 
was  clear  that  he  felt  little  short  of  hatred 
for  the  man  who  had  generously  opened  his 
home  to  him. 

''So  the  time  went  on  until  the  child  was 
a  little  more  than  two  years  old,  and  then 
came  the  terrible  tragedy  which,  it  has  al- 
ways seemed  to  me,  they  might  have  foreseen 
and  guarded  against.  One  night  -  I  was  a 
boy  of  twelve  and  asleep  in  the  house  at  the 
time  —  Harry  Merion  flew  into  a  rage  and 
shot  Casimiro  dead  without  any  provocation 
whatever,  and  while  the  mother  was  weeping 
over  her  husband's  bleeding  body,  he  lifted 
their  sleeping  baby  out  of  its  cradle  and  dis- 
appeared, Neither  the  one  nor  the  other 
was  ever  seen  again." 

Corona  suppressed  a  desire  to  interrupt 
with  questions,  and  Darnell  proceeded:  ''It 
was  learned  that  a  man  answering  to  his 
description  boarded  an  outgoing  train  and 
got  otf  somewhere  in  North  Carolina  at  a 
late  hour  of  the  same  night,  still  carrying 
the  sleeping  child.  There  all  ti-ace  of  them 
was  lost.  It  was  thought  that  he  might 
have  thrown  the  child  into  a  river,  or  aban- 
doned it  in  some  town  where  it  was  picked 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         165 

up  and  adopted,  and  that  in  some  way  he 
met  his  own  death.  It  was  easy  to  multiply 
conjectures,  but  not  one  of  them  was  ever 
verified.  Thousands  of  dollars  were  spent 
in  the  search  for  the  madman  and  the  child, 
but  neither  of  them  was  ever  heard  of 
again.  If  they  had  gone  away  in  a  balloon, 
all  traces  of  them  could  not  have  been 
more  completely  obliterated.'^ 

Gideon  McLeod  sat  still  on  the  steps,  say- 
ing nothing,  but  so  intense  was  his  interest 
in  Darnell's  narrative  that  he  had  forgotten 
to  smoke,  and  had  allowed  his  corn-cob  pipe 
to  go  out. 

'^Now  you  have  the  story  of  the  unhappy 
atmosphere  in  which  I  grew  up,^"*  the 
speaker  concluded.  ''Robbed  of  her  hus- 
band and  child  in  one  night,  my  adopted 
mother  received  a  shock  from  which  she 
never  rallied.  Necessarily  our  home  was  a 
gloomy  one.  I  think  I  did  all  I  could  to 
cheer  her ;  certainly  I  tried  hard  to  be  a 
true  son  to  her,  and  I  know  that  she  loved 
me.  The  tragedy  occurred  when  I  was 
twelve,  and  she  died  when  I  was  nineteen. 
There  was  not  a  great  deal  of  money  left 
after  the  estate  was  settled,  and  what  there 
was  I  expended  on  my  education.     I  went 


1 66         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

to  New  York,  and  spent  several  years  at 
Columbia  College,  afterwards  pursuing  the 
study  of  botany  in  Europe.  Five  years  ago 
I  returned  to  New  York,  which  is  still  mv 
home." 

The  sad  story  deeply  engaged  Corona's 
interest,  and  she  now  asked  question  after 
question,  thus  bringing  out  many  particulars 
which  had  been  omitted.  Finally,  when 
there  seemed  no  more  to  tell,  Gideon 
McLeod  moved  uneasily  on  the  steps  and 
cleared  his  throat  several  times,  as  if  about 
to  speak. 

*'Mr.  Darnell,"  he  began  at  last,  *^if  you 
was  to  see  a  man  —  a  crazy-lookin'  man  — 
about  to  kill  a  little  child,  what  would  you 
do?" 

'*rd  prevent  it,"  answered  Darnell,  sur- 
prised at  the  question. 

'^  Would  you  shoot  him  ?  " 

^'No;  I'd  jump  on  him  —  overpower  him 
—  get  the  child  out  of  the  way." 

''  But  s'posin'  '^ —  Gideon  McLeod  seemed 
to  hesitate  —  "  s'posin'  you  was  to  come  upon 
him  jes'  ez  he  was  about  to  shoot  the  child, 
and  you  had  a  gun  with  you  ?" 

/*  I  don't   like  to  propose  to  myself  such 
questions,"    answered    Darnell,    more    sur- 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         167 

prised.  ^' At  such  such  a  crisis  I  should  cer- 
tainly act,  however.  It  would  surely  be  in- 
human to  stand  by  and  not  attempt  to 
prevent  such  a  shocking  —  but  why  do  you 
ask  ?  " 

"  I  was  jes'  a  wonderin'.  What  would  be 
the  law  in  such  a  case?  " 

^'  I  never  heard  of  such  a  case,  but  I  don't 
see  how  the  law  could  touch  a  man  wiio 
shot  a  madman  in  order  to  save  the  life  of 
an  innocent  child." 

*'  Well,  now,  that's  jes'  the  way  it  seemed 
to  me,  and  when  I  seen  him  p'intin'  his 
pistol  at  the  child  that  day  it  was  more'n  I 
could  stand,  and  I  jes'  blazed  away." 

"What!  You  really  shot  —  a  madman — " 

Gideon  McLeod  suddenly  got  upon  his 
feet  and  went  and  stood  before  them,  stag- 
gering like  a  drunken  man.  In  the  pale 
light  of  the  moon  they  perceived  that  he 
was  strangely  excited. 

"  It's  out  now,  and  I  mought  ez  well  tell 
it,"  he  said  in  an  agitated  voice.  "  I'm  goin' 
to  tell  you  two  what  nobody  in  the  world 
knows  but  me  and  my  wife,  and  you  kin 
judge  betwixt  me  and  that  crazy  man." 

Corona  made  room  for  him  on  the  bench, 
and  he  sat  down  by  them  and  told  the  story 


1 68         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

without  inteiTuption,  although  both  his  com- 
panions were  breathing  hard  with  excite- 
ment and  their  minds  were  full  of  conjec- 
tures. 

''What  did  you  do  with  the  child?" 
asked  Darnell  as  soon  as  there  was  a  pause, 
leaping  to  the  conclusion. 

''  Here  she  is  —  right  here  "  — placing  his 
hand  on  the  girl  beside  him. 

Corona  and  Darnell  both  started  to  their 
feet,  incredulous,  yet  believing.  "  Can  it 
be  —  can  it  really  be  true  ?  "  they  repeatedly 
exclaimed,  a  glad  note  in  the  sound  of  their 
Yoices. 

''Mebby  she  ain't  the  child  that  was  took 
from  you-all,  Mr.  Darnell,"  said  Gideon 
McLeod  solemnly,  "but  ez  shore  ez  I'm  a 
liyin'  she's  the  child  that  crazy  man  was 
about  to  shoot  in  the  woods  down  yonder. 
And  now  do  you  blame  me?"  he  asked 
with  eagerness. 

"J  blame  you?"  echoed  Darnell.  *' I 
thank  you." 

"  You  saved  me  and  became  my  father, '' 
murmured  Corona,  reseating  herself  and 
putting  her  arms  round  the  mountaineer's 
neck. 

''  Your  only  fault,"  said  Darnell,  on  second 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         169 

thoughts,  ^^  was  in  keeping  the  secret.  If 
you  had  advertised  and  reached  the  stricken 
mother  —  how  much  happiness  you  could 
have  given  her  ! " 

^*  I  would  'a,  but  I  was  a-scared  —  and  I 
didn't  know  how,"  was  the  remorseful 
response. 

'^  But  when  was  this  ?  "  Darnell  hurried 
on  to  ask. 

"  Eighteen  years  ago  this  last  spring." 

'^  The  dates  agree  exactly,  but  that  alone 
is  not  proof  enough.  Were  there  any  letters 
on  him  —  anything  by  which  to  identify  him 
or  the  child  ?  " 

By  way  of  answer  the  mountaineer  went 
into  the  house,  calling  his  wife. 

''If  this  be  really  true,  then  you  are  my 
brother,"  said  Corona  gladly. 

*'N"ot  by  blood,"  was  the  prompt  correc- 
tion. "  If  you  are  Corona  Casimiro,  I  am 
a  very   distant    relative   of   yours,    nothing 


more." 


Gideon  McLeod '  returned  shortly,  bring- 
ing a  candle  and  a  white  bundle  which 
proved  to  be  the  garments  worn  by  the 
hapless  little  girl  eighteen  years  before. 
The  word  '' Corona  "  embroidered  in  white 
silk,  now  yellow  with  age,  on  one  of  them^ 


I/O         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

was  pointed  out,  and  then  they  were  shown 
the  linen  handkerchief  marked  ^^  H.  M." 
which  had  been  found  in  the  madman's 
pocket. 

''It  is  sufficient."  said  Darnell  at  last. 
**  There  can  be  no  further  doubt.  That 
handkerchief  certainly  belonged  to  Harry 
Merion.  My  adopted  mother  was  fond  of 
doing  such  embroidery.  I  still  have  a 
handkerchief  laid  away  somewhere  on  which 
she  embroidered  my  name  with  that  same 
thread."  Turning  to  the  girl,  he  continued  : 
"  The  proofs  may  not  be  sufhcient  to  estab- 
lish your  identity  before  a  court,  but  that 
will  not  be  necessary.  You  have  no  fortune 
to  win,  and  need  not  go  to  law.  As  I  have 
told  you,  I  spent  everything  that  was  left 
on  my  education,  and  I  engage  to  pay  it 
back  to  you." 

**  Only  half  of  it  could  be  called  mine, 
and 1" 

'*  You  shall  have  it  all.  There  can  be  no 
possible  doubt,"  he  continued.  ''  From  the 
first  day  you  have  reminded  me  of  your 
mother." 

''That  crazy  man  must  'a  found  that 
horse  standin'  waitin^  fer  somebody  else 
when  he  got  off  the  train  that  night,"  said 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  171 

Gideon  McLeod,  ''  and  I  reckon  he  tuck  to 
the  woods  right  straight  and  kep'  a  comin' 
till  he  got  h-yer.  It  was  a  mighty  fine 
horse." 

Darnell  seconded  this  conjecture,  although 
he  had  barely  caught  the  gist  of  the  remark, 
being  occupied  with  Corona's  multiplying 
questions  concerning  her  parents  and  kin- 
dred. The  mountaineer  presently  re-entered 
the  house  and  returned  with  a  torch,  pro- 
posing that  they  should  go  and  see  where 
Harry  Merion  was  buried,  as  the  distance 
was  short.  They  rose  and  followed  him. 
Corona  continuing  her  questions  as  they 
walked  down  the  path,  out  at  the  gate,  and 
into  the  woods. 

^^I'm  more  'n  middlin'  glad  you  ain't  got 
no  call  to  go  into  court,"  said  the  moun- 
taineer, as  a  silence  fell  between  the  two 
younger  people.  ^^  There  wa'n't  no  witnesses 
to  the  shootin'  and  how  I  come  to  do  it, 
and  I  mought  git  into  a  sight  0'  trouble." 

They  were  now  on  the  ground,  but  there 
was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  the  stake  that 
had  been  driven  down  on  that  memorable 
night  so  long  ago.  Gideon  McLeod  held 
the  torch  aloft  and  told  them  how,  at  the 
suggestion  of  his  wife,  he  had  read  from  the 


1/2         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas, 

sacred  Book  and  recited  a  prayer  before  the 
earth  had  been  shovelled  in.  As  they  were 
retracing  their  steps,  Darnell  assured  him 
that  he  had  nothing  to  fear,  then  or  in  the 
future.  It  was  not  necessary  to  go  into 
court,  and  as  all  the  relatives  were  dead  but 
distant  ones,  the  facts  need  never  be  known 
outside  of  Lonely  Cove.  "Corona  can  go 
back  with  me  to  New  York  as  my  wife  or 
my  sister,  as  she  chooses,  and  it  will  not  be 
necessary  to  tell  her  history." 

They  did  not  observe  it,  but  the  expres- 
sion of  the  old  mountaineer's  face  suddenly 
altered  strangely,  and  he  uttered  a  deep 
sigh  as  he  relapsed  into  silence. 

"It  is  just  as  well,"  Darnell  continued, 
"  for  the  story  would  doubtless  be  received 
with  incredulous  smiles." 

They  were  now  at  the  gate,  and  he  went 
no  farther  ;  Corona  halted  also,  but  Gideon 
McLeod  walked  on,  presently  subsiding 
into  his  old  seat  on  the  steps,  too  excited 
and  wide  awake  to  think  of  retiring  as  yet. 

"We  belong  to  each  other  now,  whether 
you  ever  marry  me  or  not,"  said  the  young 
man,  in  a  low,  glad  voice,  before  taking  his 
leave. 

"Yes — we  are  brother  and  sister." 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         173 

As  Corona  returned  slowly  and  medita- 
tively toward  the  house,  she  observed  the 
figure  on  the  steps  and  distinctly  heard  these 
words  muttered  in  a  troubled  voice  :  "  He'll 
take  her  —  of  course  ;  but,  tliank  God, 
I  done  my  duty,  anyhow."  The  girl  ran 
forward  and  seated  herself  by  the  moun- 
taineer's side,  resting  her  arm  upon  his 
shoulder  affectionately. 

*' You'll  be  goin'  off  from  us  soon,  I 
reckon,"  he  said,  in  the  same  troubled  voice. 
''  That's  why  I  hated  to  fell  —  I  knowed  he'd 
carry  you  off." 

"Dear  uncle,"  said  Corona,  impulsively, 
deeply  moved,  "I  will  stay  —  I  will  not 
leave  you." 

"  No  use  a  sayin'  that,"  he  laughed.  "  It 
wouldn't  be  right  nohow.  Young  folks 
must  marry." 


XV. 

Corona  still  felt  unable  to  think  of  Dar- 
nell as  a  lover.  She  thought  she  could  never 
love  again ;  but  he  had  become  very  dear  to 
her,  and  was .  almost  constantly  in  her 
thoughts.  It  had  seemed  more  and  more 
difficult  of  late  to  construct  a  future  which 
did  not  include  him  as  an  important  part  of 
it,  and  she  had  begun  to  wish  earnestly  that 
he  might  always  be  beside  her  to  guide,  in- 
struct and  protect.  Now  that  her  family 
history  had  come  to  light,  revealing  the 
fact  that  he  was  not  only  a  relation  but  an 
adopted  brother,  she.  basked  in  the  sunshine 
of  a  great  content.  This  man  in  whom 
she  thoroughly  believed,  this  man  of  a  noble 
heart,  was  now  in  very  truth  her  brother, 
teacher,  friend,  protector  ! 

She  had  occasion  to  think  of  him  espe- 
cially in  the  latter  respect  a  few  days  later. 


CoroJia  of  the  Nantahalas.         175 

Within  a  week  after  warning  them  of  the 
approach  of  the  raiders,  Jonathan  Scruggs 
turned  up  at  Lonely  Cove,  unmistakably  in 
the  role  of  a  suitor  come  a-courting.  They 
one  and  all  treated  him  with  every  kind- 
ness; he  ate  heartily  of  the  early  dinner 
prepared  for  him,  and  in  the  cool  of  the 
afternoon,  as  Corona  and  Dan  started  off 
for  a  walk,  he  was  invited  to  accompany 
them.  The  girl  had  intended  going  straight 
to  the  camp,  in  case  he  remained  with  the 
McLeods,  as  she  hoped  he  would;  but  the 
party  now  took  their  way  toward  the  river 
Simois. 

"Ain't  you  got  no  good  word  for  me. 
Miss  Anna,  after  what  I  done  for  you-all 
t'other  day?"  asked  the  foolish  lover,  with 
the  air  of  one  come  to  claim  a  reward. 

They  had  seated  themselves  on  the  little 
river's  bank,  and  were  watching  the  clear 
water  swirling  white  and  frothy  over  the 
rocks.  Corona  turned  and  looked  at  him 
coldly. 

"Xothing,  Jonathan,"  she  said,  '^except 
that  we  all  thank  you  for  warning  us  as 
you  did." 

**  Tve  been  a  runnin'  after  you  a  right 
smart    while,    Miss    Anna,"    he    ventured, 


I  j6  Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

after  a  few  moments.     "It's  now  goin'  on 
two  year." 

"It  is  a  pity  to  waste  so  raucli  time,"  she 
remarked,  her  glance  returning  to  the  leap- 
ing water. 

"I  love  to  waste  it  —  on  yoxi^,''  declared 
this  personification  of  obtuseness.  '^Tm 
Willi q'  to  waste  a  big  sight  more  on  yon." 
His  little,  yellow  eyes  seemed  to  dance  as  he 
gazed  at  her. 

"  I  have  told  you  often  that  it  was  useless 
to  continue,"  she  reminded  him. 

"  So  you  did,"  he  assented,  his  broad,  red 
face  expanded  in  a  knowing  smile,  ''but 
women  folks  is  powerful  a23t  to  change  their 
minds,  they  tell  me.  Mebby  we'll  make  it 
after  a  while.  l^othin'  like  keepin'  at  a 
thing,"  he  laughed  loudly. 

Corona  rose  to  walk  on,  an  expression  of 
disgust  on  her  face.  Just  then  they  heard 
the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps,  and 
the  girl's  face  lighted  up  as  Darnell  ap- 
peared. He  carried  a  light  spade,  very 
long  and  narrow,  and  two  or  three  uprooted 
plants. 

"  I'm  so  glad  you  have  come,"  she  said  to 
him  in  a  low  voice. 

Darnell's  smile   showed   that  he   was  no 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.  177 

less  glad.  After  a  moment  he  turned  from 
her  and  nodded  to  Dan  and  young  Scruggs. 
The  latter  was  unwise  and  intemperate 
enough  to  scowl  instead  of  returning  the 
salute,  and  presently  burst  out  with  the 
rude  remark  : 

''  Two  is  comp'ny  and  three  is  none,  they 
tell  me." 

Corona  and  Darnell  both  turned  at  this, 
the  latter  surveying  the  angry  mountaineer 
with  a  critical  eye.  "  What  do  you  mean  by 
that  ?  "  he  asked  mildly. 

''  I  mean  two  is  comp'ny,  and  three  is 
none  in  my  country." 

''  Then  suppose  we  leave  him,"  suggested 
Darnell. 

Corona  indicating  assent,  they  began  to 
walk  on. 

At  that  Jonathan  Scruggs  swore  an  oath, 
and  lost  his  head  completely.  ^'I  reckon 
this  is  my  innin',"  he  shouted.  "  I  walked 
out  with  her  first,  and  you  or  any  other  man 
has  got  me  to  whip  before  you  kin  take  her 
away  from  me  that-a  way." 

He  rushed  up  to  his  rival  with  doubled 
fists,  and  stood  close  to  him  in  a  threatening 
attitude.  The  blood  mounted  to  Darnell's 
face,  and   before  he   knew  it  he  had  taken 


178         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

the  iaitiative.  Suddenly  liis  right  arm  shot 
out  from  the  shoulder,  and  there  was  the 
dull  sound  of  a  heavy  blow.  The  moun- 
taineer staggered  back,  and  for  a  moment 
he  seemed  to  be  falliug;  but  he  ralhed, 
leaped  forward,  and  the  two  men  grappled. 

Though  an  inch  or  two  taller,  Darnell 
was  much  the  lighter  man;  but  he  had  had 
considerable  athletic  training  in  his  youth, 
and  his  many  summers  of  outdoor  life, 
with  much  mountain  climbing,  had  aided  in 
the  develonment  of  his  muscles.  The  over- 
confident  Scruggs  soon  found  that  he  had 
met  his  match.  For  many  moments  the 
issue  of  the  struggle  seemed  doubtful ; 
round  and  round  over  a  confined  open 
space  carpeted  with  dead  leaves  they  gradu- 
ally worked  their  way.  Corona  looked  on, 
terrified,  yet  conscious  of  a  strange  fasci- 
nation, while  Dan  was  so  pleased  at  so  un- 
common a  sight  that  he  could  not  contain 
himself,  but  went  leaping  and  dancing  about 
the  wrestlers,  smiling  and  uttering  inarticu- 
late sounds  of  delight. 

Corona  was  conscious  of  the  most  intense 
satisfaction,  of  almost  a  desire  to  shout, 
when  at  last  she  saw  Scruggs  go  down 
heavily  and  Darnell  partially  rise  with  his 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         1 79 

knees  upon  the   breast  of  his   panting   and 
furious  ad  versary. 

"You  deserve  a  great  deal  more  than 
this,  but  T  am  going  to  let  you  go,"  said 
Darnell  sternly,  as  he  held  the  man  down 
and  they  glared  at  each  other.  '^Another 
time  I  hope  you  will  know  how  to  behave 
yourself  in  the  presence  of  a  lady." 

When  released,  Scruggs  gathered  himself 
up  very  quickly,  considering  that  he  was 
out  of  breath  and  pretty  well  spent.  He 
looked  from  Corona  to  the  victor,  his  face 
aflame  with  passion.  "I'll  get  even  with 
you  yet,"  he  said  huskily,  with  a  dark, 
threateuino:  look  toward  the  latter. 

"You  ought  to  be  satisfied,"  "said  Darnell, 
smiling  serenely.  "I  am.  It  was  a  fair 
fight." 

By  way  of  response  the  mountaineer  re- 
peated his  threat,  more  bitterly  than  before. 
Fearing  more  and  perhaps  worse  trouble, 
Corona  sisrned  to  Dan  to  take  Scrucrors 
back  to  the  house,  and  speaking  urgently 
to  Darnell,  the  two  walked  aw:iy  together, 
leaving  the  deaf  mute  to  obey  his  orders — 
if  he  could. 

Some  men  would  have  seriously  reflected 
over  the  fact  of  having  aroused  the  bitter 


l8o         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

enmity  of  another,  and  would  thereafter 
have  always  been  more  or  less  on  their 
guard.  A  more  cautious  man  would  per- 
haps not  only  have  been  on  the  look-out  by 
day  but  would  not  have  slept  unrrotected 
by  night.  Darnell,  however,  did  not  give 
the  mat-ter  more  than  a  passing  thought, 
and  soon  forgot  the  threats  of  the  vanquished 
mountaineer. 

It  was  in  the  morning,  a  week  or  two 
later,  while  preparing  his  breakfast",  that  he 
once  or  twice  thought  he  heard  stealthy 
footsteps  beyond  the  borders  of  the  open 
sp'ice  surrounding  his  camp.  He  raised  his 
head  and  scanned  the  leafy  aisles  leading 
away  in  all  directions,  but  saw  nothing. 
He  attributed  the  sounds  to  the  rustle  of 
dry  leaves  moved  by  the  wind.  At  the 
same  time  he  reflected  that  the  air  seemed 
phenomenally  still  that  morning,  and  w^on- 
d'M'ed  if  some  little  animal,  perhaps  a 
squirrel,  were  not  frisking  about  in  the 
vicinity.  Having  breakfasted,  and  set  his 
tent  and  surroundings  in  something  like 
order  he  made  ready  for  a  tramp. 

"The  air  is  remarkably  still,"  he  said 
aloud,  as  he  stood,  spade  in  hand,  ready 
to  start. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.        i8i 

It  was  just  then  that  his  eye  caught  the 
leap  of  a  slender  tongue  of  flame  from  the 
thicket  directly  in  front.  Almost  at  the 
same  instant  he  felt  a  heavy,  burning  blow, 
heard  a  loud  report,  and  realized,  as  one  in 
a  dream,  that  he  tottered  and  fell. 

Darnell  knew  that  he  was  shot — a  burn- 
ing, tingling  pain  in  his  left  leg,  about  half 
way  above  the  knee,  was  distinctly  per- 
ceptible— and  a  great  fear  seized  him.  He 
was  alone — he  might  bleed  to  death;  the 
assassin  would  of  course  abandon  him  to 
his  fate.  He  was  about  to  lift  himself  on 
his  arm  and  look  around,  but  hearing  foot- 
steps he  remained  quiet,  closing  his  eyes. 

Seeing  his  victim  in  a  state  of  physical 
collapse,  the  assassin  emerged  from  cover 
and  cautiously  drew  near,  curious  to  see  if 
death  had  been  the  result  of  the  shot. 
When  the  approaching  footsteps  were 
stilled,  and  he  felt  that  some  one  bent  over 
him  and  stared  into  his  face,  Darnell  sud- 
denly opened  his  eyes  and  recognized  Jona- 
than Scruggs. 

*'0h,  it  is  you,  is  it?"  he  said  con- 
temptuously, a  feeling  of  recklessness  sud- 
denly succeeding  his  state  of  fear. 

'^Yes,    it's  me,"   was   the    mountaineer's 


1 82         Corona  of  tJie  NantaJialas, 

defiant  response,  after  a  start  of  surprise. 
His  haggard  face  and  bloodshot  eyes 
emphasized  the  malevolence  of  his  expres- 
sion. 

*^What  made  you  shoot  me?" 

"  You  know  well  enough.''' 

'*  Because  I  whipped  you  in  a  fair  fight, 
or  because  you  think  I  stand  in  your  light 
with  the  woman  you  want  to  marry  but  do 
not  love?'' 

'•'Who  says  I  don't  love  her?" 

•'The  love  of  a  good  woman  ought  to 
make  a  man  out  of  any  sort  of  a  fellow. 
Instead  of  making  a  man  of  you,  it  has 
made  you  the  most  despicable  of  all 
creatures — an  assassin,  which  is  only  an- 
other name  for  devil/' 

The  mountaineer  flushed  with  anger  and 
shame,  lifting  his  rifle  threateningly.  ''If 
you  don't  stop  sassin'  me,"  he  burst  out, 
"I'll  put  you  out  o'  yo'  mis'ry  mighty 
quick." 

Suddenly  Darnell  closed  his  eyes,  and  a 
faintness  stole  upon  him.  In  a  moment  or 
two  he  oj)ened  them  again  and  said:  "If 
you  don't  intend  to  finish  me,  bring  me 
some  water." 

Then  quite  as  suddenly  his  face  blanched, 


Corona  of  the  Naittahalas.  183 

his  eyes  closed,  and  he  lapsed  into  uncon- 
sciousness. 

*^  He's  dead  !  "  whispered  Scruggs,  draw- 
ing away  in  horror  and  fear. 

A  few  moments  of  intense  stillness  suc- 
ceeded. They  were  cut  short  by  the  rustle 
of  dry  leaves  beneath  the  tread  of  approach- 
jng  feet.  Scruggs  bounded  away  like  a 
hare  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  when 
Corona  appeared  along  the  path  leading 
from  the  farm-house  nothing  met  her  gaze 
but  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  the  tent,  the 
empty  hammock,  and  presently  the  limp 
figure  on  the  ground.  She  stopped,  startled 
—  could  he  be  asleep  in  such  an  attitude 
and  on  the  bare  ground  ?  Drawing  nearer, 
she  beheld  all  in  one  moment  the  deathly 
pale  face  and  the  blood  which  had  oozed 
through  the  thick  woolen  of  Darnell's 
trousers. 

With  a  low  cry  unlike  anything  she  had 
ever  uttered  in  her  life  before,  the  girl 
threw  herself  upon  the  prostrate  figure. 
She  saw  that  he  did  not  breathe  —  assuredly 
he  was  dead!  She  gathered  him  to  her, 
pillowing  his  head  on  her  breast  and  press- 
ing her  lips  long  upon  his,  inwardly  say- 
ing :  ^*  If  he  be  dead,  how  can  I  live  ?     Let 


1 84         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

me  die,  too,  0  my  God  ! "  She  knew  at 
last  the  difference  between  a  dream  and  a 
reality. 

Suddenly  Darnell  revived,  and,  without 
opening  his  eyes,  called  faintly,  "Water!" 

Gently,  but  swiftly,  and  with  the  light  of 
a  great  joy  in  her  eyes,  the  girl  laid  him 
out  of  her  arms  before  he  was  aware  of  her 
presence.  Running  to  the  tent  she  found 
water  standing  in  a  bucket,  ran  back  with 
a  cupful,  and  put  it  to  his  lips.  He  drank 
eagerly,  then  looked  to  see  who  ministered 
to  him. 

"  Oh,  it  is  you,"  he  murmured  contentedly. 
"My  last  thought  was  of  you,  Corona.  I 
thought  I  was  going  to  die,  and  I  wished 
you  could  be  by  me.  ...  I  have  been 
shot." 

"  I  am  here  and  will  stay  with  you,"  sha 
said,  touching  his  forehead  caressingly  with 
her  hand.  She  would  not  ask  the  name 
of  the  assassin,  fearing  to  excite  him. 

'*  And  I  am  not  to  die,  it  seems,"  he  said. 
'*'  How  could  I  from  a  wound  in  the  leg?  " 

''But  it  bleeds  rapidly,"  she  said,  with 
anxiety.  ''I  can  feel  the  blood  gushing 
forth  under  the  cloth.  It  has  run  out  on 
the  ground.' 


>f 


Corona  of  tJie  Nantahalas.         1S5 

^'The  femoral  artery  must  be  cut,"  he 
said,  weakening  with  sudden  misgiving. 
^'  If  so  I  shall  bleed  to  death,  unless  the 
wound  has  very  careful  attention." 

Corona  started  to  her  feet;  something 
sliould  be  done  at  once.  A  deadly  pallor 
overspread  Darnell's  face,  and  a  second  time 
he  lapsed  into  unconsciousness. 

The  girl's  distress  was  intensified.  She 
realized  that  she  must  act — immediately — 
but  what  should  slie  do  ?  Should  she  leave 
him — run  to  the  house  for  help  ?  He  might 
die  while  she  was  gone;  no,  she  could  not 
leave  him.  Perhaps  she  could  carry  him 
there — if  she  tried  hard — desperately  hard  ; 
she  was  very  strong — she  believed  she  could 
do  it. 

Stooping  over  him,  she  exerted  all  her 
strength,  lifted  him  in  her  arms,  and  stag- 
gered a  few  steps  with  her  burden.  She 
could  not  do  it — she  could  never  do  it ; 
something  else  must  be  done. 

Looking  about  her  helplessly  —  sup2:)li- 
catingly — her  eye  fell  upon  a  crooked  ram's 
horn  belonging  to  Dan.  It  lay  on  the 
ground  near  the  tent,  where  he  had  dropped 
it  perhaps  the  day  before.  Leaping  upon 
it  as  though  in  fear  lest  it  should  fly  from 


1 86         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

her,  Corona  put  it  to  her  lips  and  blew 
three  long  blasts,  then  three  more,  and  then 
three  more.  Surely  they  would  hear  that 
at  the  farm-house,  and  understand  that 
something  was  wrong  and  come  to  her 
aid. 

The  stillness  that  followed  was  frightful 
to  her  in  its  intensity  and  suggestion  of 
disaster.  Half  an  hour  must  eLip.-e  before 
any  one  could  come  to  her  aid,  and  mean- 
while the  assassin's  victim  might  bleed  to 
death.  She  could  not  wait — she  must  begin 
the  work.  Dropping  the  horn,  she  returned 
to  Darnell's  side,  steeling  herself  to  the 
accomplishment  of  the  task  before  her.  The 
blood  must  be  stanched — she  must  do  it — 
and  before  it  could  be  done  his  clothing 
would  have  to  be  removed.  As  she  stood 
over  liim,  hesitating,  a  suggestion  came  to 
her.  Eunning  to  the  tent,  she  looked  about 
eagerly,  picked  up  a  long,  sharp  knife,  and 
came  back. 

It  was  the  work  of  but  a  few  moments 
to  7'ip  open  Darnell's  trousers,  and  lay  bare 
the  wound,  from  which  the  blood  flowed  in 
a  rapid  stream.  She  did  not  stop  here,  but 
cut  away  the  ripped  cloth  entirely,  and, 
tearing  it  into    long    strips,    bound    them 


Corona  of  the  NantaJialas.  187 

tightly  around  the  exposed  lirab,  covering 
the  wound  and  checking  the  great  flow  of 
blood. 

By  the  time  all  this  was  done  she  heard 
the  sound  of  footsteps.  Looking  up,  she 
was  overjoyed  to  find  DaQ  at  her  side. 
Mrs.  McLeod  had  been  alarmed  by  the 
repeated  blowing  of  the  horn,  and  had  sent 
him  off  at  a  run.  Hardly  stopping  to  S2:)eak 
a  word  in  explanation  of  the  situation, 
Corona  bade  the  deaf  mute  lift  Darnell  and 
carry  him  home  as  fast  as  he  could. 

Dan,  who  was  '^.Imost  as  strong  as  an  ox, 
willingly  obeyed  her.  Lifting  the  still  in- 
sensible man,  and  placing  him  p:irtly  across 
his  shoulders  and  partly  on  his  back,  he 
trotted  easily  after  Corona  along  the  path 
leading  to  the  house. 


XVI. 

GiDEOiq-  McLeod  was  out  in  the  moun- 
tains looking  after  some  stmying  sheep. 
When  his  wife  saw  Corona  running  towards 
the  house,  followed  by  Dan  with  his  burden, 
her  first  thought  was  of  her  husband,  and 
she  began  at  once  to  blow  the  horn.  She 
blew  blast  after  blast,  ceasing  only  when 
Corona  reached  the  steps. 

'as  it  Mr.  Darnell  that's  hurt?''  she 
asked  anxiously. 

"  Yes  " —  with  a  gasp  for  breath. 

''  What  ails  him  ?    Look  at  the  blood  I " 

'^He  has  been  shot." 

''Too  done  it?" 

''I  believe  it  was  Jonathan." 

Dan  carried  the  still  unconscious  man  in, 
and  they  placed  him  gently  on  a  bed. 
Then,  as  the  two  woman  busied  themselves 
about  the  room,  he  went   out,   as   he  was 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas,         189 

directed  to  do,  took  up  the  horn,  and  walk- 
ing some  distance  from  the  house,  blew  it 
with  all  his  strength. 

A  short  while  afterwards,  as  Corona,  in 
her  own  room,  was  tearing  cloth  into  strips 
for  fresh  bandages,  Mrs.  McLeod  came  to 
her  and  said: 

^^He's  come  to.  He  says  we  must  get  a 
doctor  right  off  to  probe  for  the  bullet.^' 

''  I  thought  that  ought  to  be  done,  but  I 
was  waiting  for  uncle  to  see  him,^'  was  the 
anxious  reply. 

The  girl  ran  out  and  looked  toward  the 
mountain  heights.  Dan  was  still  blowing 
the  horn  at  intervals,  and  there  was  as  yet 
no  sign  of  his  father.  Corona  caught  his 
eye,  beckoned  to  him,  and  began  to  make 
signs,  directing  him  to  bridle  the  horse,  and 
put  on  her  side  saddle.  Dan  himself  could 
not  go  for  the  doctor — no  one  at  Wolf  Creek 
would  understand  his  signs  —  and  it  would 
not  do  to  wait  for  his  father,  who  might  be 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  horn.  Corona  de- 
cided that  she  must  go  herself. 

Having  reached  this  determination,  she 
returned  to  the  wounded  man^s  bedside,  and 
bent  low  over  him,  saying  that  the  doctor 
was  to  be  sent  for  at  once.     He  smiled  as 


190         Corona  of  the  N ant ahalas. 

he  saw  her,  pressed  her  hand  gently,  but 
seemed  too  faint  to  speak;  and  then  she 
left  him. 

"  Watch  him  closely  till  I  return,"  she 
whispered  to  Mrs.  McLeod,  but  did  not  an- 
nounce her  determination,  fearing  opposi- 
tion, and  thus  delay. 

Corona  wore  one  of  her  white  Greek 
gowns,  and  it  was  now  stained  with  blood, 
but  she  did  not  pause  to  make  a  change. 
The  horse  was  ready,  and  not  a  moment 
was  lost.  Once  upon  his  back,  and  out  be- 
yond the  gate,  she  plied  the  whip  and  rode 
at  a  breakneck  speed  along  the  difficult  path- 
way leading  downward  through  the  moun- 
tains. Over  fallen  trees,  along  narrow  ledges, 
above  yawning  ravines,  through  shallow, 
roaring  mountain  torrents  full  of  huge,  slip- 
pery stones  —  on  she  went  ! 

She  had  made  the  journey  to  Wolf  Creek, 
a  distance  of  at  least  fifteen  miles,  only 
twice  in  her  life,  and  the  last  time  more 
than  five  years  since;  but  there  were  no 
cross  roads,  and  she  knew  that  she  could 
not  miss  her  way.  But  the  horse  might 
slip  or  stumble,  and  fall  at  a  dangerous 
point,  and  both  be  precipitated  downward 
io   certain   death.     Corona   thought   not  of 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas,         191 

this ;  her  only  fear  was  that  Darnell  might 
die  while  she  was  on  the  road,  and  with 
apparent  recklessness  she  urged  her  labour- 
ing horse  with  a  merciless  hand. 

Two  hours  or  more  later,  as  the  panting 
animal  carried  her  into  the  more  level 
region  of  the  lower  valley,  she  saw  on  the 
road  ahead  of  her  a  horseman  riding 
rapidly  toward  Wolf  Creek.  As  she  neared 
the  villao'e  and  saw  him  turn  off  to  the 
right,  she  recognized  the  face  of  Jonathan 
Scruggs,  and  was  confirmed  in  her  suspicion 
of  his  villainy. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  mountain  village, 
which  consisted  of  a  lialf-dozen  or  so  of 
dwelling  houses,  a  post  oflBce,  and  two  small 
stores,  were  amazed  at  the  sight  of  a  pant- 
ing, foam-flecked  horse,  with  a  handsome 
young  girl  on  its  back,  dashing  madly  into 
their  midst.  Thinking  it  a  runaway,  one 
man  rushed  into  the  road  to  the  rescue,  but 
Corona  promptly  motioned  him  back  and 
began  to  check  her  plunging  horse.  As  she 
came  to  a  standstill  several  men  approached 
her  questioningly. 

'^  Please  tell  me  where  the  doctor  is/'  she 
said  to  them  hurriedly. 

*^  Yonder  he  is  risrht  now  —  there  in  front 


192         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

o'  the  post  office,"  said  the  nearest,  pointing 
out  a  stout  man  who  sat  in  a  ohair,  reading 
a  newspaper,  under  a  tree  fronting  a  little 
frame  house.     '^  I'll  go  and  tell  him." 

"  Anybody  sick  ?  "  asked  another. 

**A  man  has  been  shot  in  the  mountains. 
He  is  at  the  McLeods'.     I  am  from  there." 

They  asked  a  few  more  questions,  and 
then  the  doctor  came  forward.  Corona 
waited  for  no  introduction,  and  earnestly 
appealed  to  him.  Could  he  get  a  horse 
and  go  with  her  at  once  ?  The  case  was  ur- 
gent. The  man  at  Lonely  Cove  might  bleed 
to  death. 

' '  Who  shot  him  ?  "  asked  the  doctor  de- 
liberately. 

He  was  a  little  fat  man  somewhat  past 
middle  age,  w^ho  looked  as  if  he  had  never 
been  in  a  hurry  in  his  life. 

^'  I  found  him  so  in  the  woods,  answered 
Corona  restively.  "  I  suspect  a  certain  man, 
but  as  I  am  not  sure,  I  will  not  mention 
his  name  —  as  yet.  Can  we  not  start  at 
once  ?  " 

The  doctor  looked  at  the  sun.  "  Dinner 
will  be  ready  in  'bout  an  hour,"  he  ob- 
served. ^^  Won't  you  'light  and  take  dinner 
with    me  and  my  wife  ?    Then   we  could 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         193 

start  right  off.  It's  a  powerful  long  ways 
up  to  Lonely  Cove,  and  we  ought  to  have 
dinner  first." 

Corona  made  no  answer,  but  looked 
steadily  at  the  speaker,  a  peculiar,  fiery 
glare  in  her  eyes.  The  expression  of  her 
face  was  such  as  to  frighten  him,  and  to 
stir  the  sympathy  of  the  bystanders. 

*^*Go^n'  ter  stop  and  eat  when  a  man's 
a-dyin'  ?  "  asked  one  of  them  in  disgust. 

"  Well,  I'll  be  dog  gone  !  "  audibly  mut- 
tered another. 

**  Well,  I'll  go  and  git  ready  right  off," 
acquiesced  the  doctor,  reluctantly  turning 
away. 

The  girl  wondered  what  such  a  man  could 
be  made  of,  as  she  saw  him  movino:  slowly 
about,  making  his  preparations.  She  almost 
feared  that  she  would  shriek  out  in  her  ex- 
asperation and  pain.  He  was  not  made  of 
stone,  as  she  half  believed,  but  of  heavy, 
solid  flesh,  iron  nerves,  and  phlegmatic  feel- 
ings. What  if  a  man  had  been  shot  and 
was  lying  bleeding  to  death,  could  the 
doctor  be  expected  to  excite  himself  and 
rush  around  till  his  fat  person  was  bathed 
in  a  profuse  perspiration  ?  People  must 
die,  and  if  need  be  hearts  must  break,  and 


194        Corona  of  the  Nantahalas. 

mean  while  —  if  denied  the  privilege  of  wait- 
ing for  his  dinner  —  the  doctor  must  at  least 
take  time  to  catch  his  breath. 

Corona  was  repeatedly  urged  to  alight  and 
refresh  herself,  but,  after  drawing  rein  in 
front  of  the  doctor's  house,  she  refused  to  do 
aught  but  sit  on  her  horse  and  wait  for 
him.  She  saw  him  moving  deliberately 
about  his  house  for  some  minutes  before  he 
sent  a  half-grown  lad  to  saddle  his  horse, 
and  she  told  herself  bitterly  that  he  was  in- 
exorable —  he  ought  to  be  tortured  ! 

At  last  he  joined  her,  picking  his  teeth, 
and  they  took  the  road.  Then  the  girl  led 
him  a  fearful  race  upward  through  those 
mountain  wilds,  and  the  plump  doctor 
cursed  his  hard  luck.  He  was  too  proud  to 
allow  himself  to  be  left  far  behind,  and  at 
many  a  risky  turn  in  the  path  he  swore 
beneath  his  breath.  But  when,  about  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon,  they  arrived  at  the 
farm-house,  though  severely  jaded,  he 
showed  interest  in  the  case,  rolled  up  his 
sleeves,  and  went  to  work  with  a  will. 

Corona  sprang  to  the  ground  and  ran  in 
ahead  of  him.  Mrs.  McLeod  met  her  at  the 
door,  and  answered  the  agonized  appeal  in 
her  eyes,  by  saying  :  ''He  'pears  to  be  'bout 


Corona  of  tJie  Nantahalas.         195 

the  same,  though  hit  looks  to  me  like  he's 
drunk  euough  water  to  kill  him.  Gid 
didn't  git  home  till  you  was  half  w\ay,  I 
reckon.  He  said  you  ought  to  'a'  waited  for 
him  to  fetch  the  doctor." 

Corona  said  nothing  in  answer,  and  after 
the  doctor  had  gone  into  Darnell's  room, 
taking  her  uncle  and  Dan  with  him,  she  sat 
down  by  her  aunt  on  the  porch,  looked 
long  with  dry  eyes  toward  Parnassus,  and  at 
leno^th  sobbed  convulsively. 

The  backwoods  physician  was  not  much 
of  a  surgeon,  and  knew  little  of  anatomy, 
but  he  got  the  ball  out  successfully,  and 
performed  such  other  offices  as  seemed  im- 
perative. He  said  the  Avound  was  not 
necessarily  dangerous,  but  was  very  serious 
and  needed  careful  watching.  The  bullet 
had  passed  close  to  the  femur,  narrowly 
grazing  the  femoral  artery  and  actually 
cuttinsf  two  or  more  of  its  branches  or 
ramifications,  and  had  deej^ly  embedded 
itself  in  the  abductor  muscles.  The  doctor 
made  several  subsequent  visits  ;  for  it  was 
more  than  three  weeks  before  Darnell  could* 
stand  on  his  feet,  and  two  months  elapsed 
before  he  entirely  lost  his  limp. 

After  his  first  visit  the  doctor  stayed  over 


196         Corona  of  the  Nantahalas 

niglit,  and  as  Darnell  was  resting  quietly 
next  morning,  he  returned  home,  at  a  rate 
of  speed  much  more  leisurely  and  satisfac- 
tory than  that  forced  on  him  the  day  before. 
Gideon  McLeod  accompanied  him,  with 
the  intention  of  procuring  the  arrest  of 
Jonathan  Scruggs,  whose  name  Darnell 
had  faintly  articulated  on  the  previous  day 
in  response  to  the  questions  of  his  host. 

Early  in  the  evening  of  the  same  day  the 
mountaineer  returned  with  the  unexpected 
news  that  Scruggs  had  been  arrested  the 
afternoon  before  —  not  many  hours  after  tlie 
shooting  —  and  carried  off  to  jail  on  proof  of 
his  being  engaged  in  illicit  distilling. 

"  When  they  git  through  with  him  for 
that,  we'll  settle  with  him  for  sneakin'  round 
and  shootin'  from  the  bushes  at  an  honest 
man,"  said  Gideon  McLeod,  with  emphasis. 

Corona  was  too  much  a  child  of  nature 
to  hide  her  feelino;s  when  nothinoj  demanded 
such  concealment.  She  hesitated  only  until 
Darnell  was  resting  tranquilly  and  not 
likely  to  be  harmed  by  excitement.  On 
the  morning  after  her  uncle's  return  from 
Wolf  Creek  she  went  into  Darnell's  room 
alone,  and  kneeling  beside  the  bed,  took  the 
hand  which  he  extended. 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         197 

"  I  was  hoping  you  would  come  to  me/' 
he  said. 

"  Do  you  still  love  me,  Edward  ?  ^'  she 
asked  abruptly. 

"  I  shall  always  love  you,  Corona.  I  am 
not  one  of  those  who  change." 

'*  And  you  wish  to  marry  me  ?  " 

**  One  question  involves  the  other.  I 
could  not  love  you  without  wishing  to 
marry  you."  He  turned  his  head  on  the 
pillow  and  looked  up  at  her  intently,  in- 
quiring: "  Why  do  you  ask  me  this  ?" 

'^  Don't  you  understand,  Edward?"  she 
said,  with  a  low  laugh,  a  great  new  light  in 
her  eyes,  and  her  face  a  flame  of  blushes. 
"  I  ask  because  —  I  love  you!"  Her  head 
was  suddenly  caught  fast  between  his 
hands  and  her  face  drawn  down  close  upon 
his,  so  that  their  lips  rested  together. 

"I  know  now  that  it  has  been  so  a  long 
time,"  she  told  him,  when  at  last  he  let  her 
go,  "  but  it  was  not  until  I  found  you  lying 
on  the  ground  —  shot — and  thought  you 
dead  that  —  that " 

^^That  reconciles  me  to  my  wound,"  he 
interrupted  with  a  laugh.  *^  The  would-be 
assassin  little  knows  that  he  is  my  greatest 
benefactor." 


198         Corona  of  the  NantaJialas. 

By  the  time  the  invalid  was  fully  restored 
the  summer  was  quite  gone,  and  the  neces- 
sity of  returning  to  New  York  in  order  to 
fulfil  his  engagements  presented  itself  to 
him.  He  preferred  to  marry  at  Lonely  Cove 
rather  than  later  on  somewhere  else,  and  as 
any  other  arrangement  would  have  wounded 
the  McLeods,  this  way  was  determined  on  by 
the  lovers. 

"It  almost  breaks  my  heart  to  think  of 
leaving  them,'^  said  Corona  as  the  time 
drew  near. 

*^  We  can  come  here  every  summer  if  you 
wish,"  Darnell  promised;  "and  they  will 
not  feel  that  they  are  giving  you  up  en- 
tirely. As  for  Dan,  if  his  father  agrees,  we 
can  take  him  to  New  York  and  put  him 
in  a  school  where  he  will  learn  to  read  and 
write,  and  a  whole  new  world  will  open  to 
him." 

A  license  was  procured  at  "Wolf  Creek  for 
the  marriage  of  Edward  Darnell  and  Corona 
Casimiro,  and  the  15th  of  September  was 
the  day  chosen.  The  fat,  lazy  little  doctor, 
being  invited  to  accompany  the  minister, 
again  submitted  to  the  rough  and  dangerous 
ride  up  from  the  lower  valley  in  order  to 
eat    a    piece    of    Mrs.   McLeod's    cake  and 


Corona  of  the  Nantahalas.         199 

witness  the  marriage  of  the  girl  for  whom 
he  felt  a  mixture  of  admiration  and  fear. 

The  devotees  of  fashion  would  have  been 
shocked  to  see  a  beautiful  girl,  arrayed  in  a 
laurel  wreath  and  a  Greek  robe  of  white 
wool,  stand  up  to  marry  a  young  man 
wearing  an  outing  shirt  and  a  Norfolk 
jacket ;  but  the  two  people  most  concerned 
cared  little  for  fashion  or  other  such  ex- 
ternal matters,  and  thought  only  of  their 
arrival  at  the  threshold  of  a  great,  enduring 
happiness. 


Napoleon, 

Lover  and  Husband 

By  FREDERIC  MASSON 


Translated   from   the   14th   French   Edition 
By  J.  M.  HOWELL 


FIVE   PHOTOGRAVURE   PLATES,   320   PAGES, 
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*  *  *  *  Frederic  Masson  has  undertaken  to  reveal  the  lover's 
side,  as  it  may  be  called,  of  Napoleon,  from  the  precocious  youth 
to  the  day  that  he  died  at  St.  Helena.  The  book  is  what  might 
be  called  a  "revelation,"  for,  though  many  of  the  names  and 
episodes  treated  have  been  vaguely  touched  before,  the  present 
author  has  buttressed  his  statements  by  documents  which  a 
court  of  law  would  be  compelled  to  pronounce  unimpeachable. 
And,  indeed,  without  documents,  the  Napoleon  presented  in 
Frederic  Masson's  volume,  "  Napoleon,  Lover  and  Husband," 
would  be  hardly  credible,  for,  if  there  is  one  saliency  in  Napo- 
leon's character  that  stands  out  beyond  others  in  the  recorded 
actions  of  his  life,  it  is  his  determined  hostility  to  feminine  inter- 
ference in  affairs  of  state,  or  even  aifairs  of  the  family.  It  was 
his  supposed  impassive  indifference  to  the  sex  that  first  won  him 
the  incredulous  interest  of  the  Parisians,  when,  as  the  head  of 
the  Italian  army  at  twenty-five,  he  sternly  put  aside  the  usual 
gallantries  that  follow  "  war's  alarms,"  and  found  time  only  for 
conjugal  letters  to  the  absent  Josephine. 

*  *  *  *  Paris,  and  indeed  all  Europe,  seems  to  be  struck  with 
the  remarkable  recrudescence  of  the  Napoleonic  legends.  Not 
only  are  plays  reviving  the  career  of  Napoleon  presented  on  two 
or  three  of  the  Parisian  stages  simultaneously,  but  half  the 
national  periodicals  are  deep  in  new  "  studies  "  of  the  extinct 
volcano,  Masson's  book,  which,  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say,  is 
exciting  a  sensation  from  St.  Petersburg  to  Rome,  derives  its 
chief  force  from  the  fact  that  the  revelations  are  drawn  from 
friendly  sources,  and  the  writer  presents  the  result  rather  in  the 
spirit  of  a  philosophic  and  admiring  friend  than  a  severe  censor 
of  morals  or  a  critic  of  character. 


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**BROADOAKS,"    "OBLIVION/'  "PRINCESS," 

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"Is  another  of  M.  G.  McCIelland's  literary  gems." 
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